Wildcats roll Atchison behind five goals from Hampton

Louisburg sophomore Lexi Hampton scored five goals in Friday’s home contest against Atchison. The Wildcats won the match, 10-0.

For being a young group, the Louisburg girls soccer team is proving that age is nothing but a number.

It continued to prove that Friday as the Wildcats hosted Atchison in their second match of the season. In a team filled with underclassmen, Louisburg took care of business and rolled Atchison, 10-0.

One of those young players gave the Wildcats a big boost as sophomore Lexi Hampton scored five goals and had an assist to help give Louisburg its big start. In her first two games to start the season, the Louisburg forward has scored eight goals.

“Lexi has done a really nice job,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “She is playing simple, which is allowing her to play faster and then get better opportunities to finish the chances she is getting. Her teammates are doing a really nice job of finding her after they beat their opponent. Lexi is doing well getting herself open as her teammate is attacking. Also, she is doing a really nice job of finishing her opportunities.”

Hampton scored four of those goals in the first half and the Wildcats got another from freshman forward Rowan Yows, who scored her first varsity goal, to give Louisburg a 5-0 halftime advantage.

Another Wildcat scored her first varsity goal as freshman Jaden Bentz found the back of the net early in the second half. Senior Reese Johnson, who also finished the game with two assists, scored a few minutes later to make it 7-0.

After another Hampton goal, juniors Tehya Harvey and Bree Gassman found the back of the net to finish the 10-goal victory. Yows finished the game with two assists, while Gassman and Riley May each added one a piece.

“I thought we started out a little slow, but we progressed very quickly,” Conley said. “The girls created a massive amount of chances. Honestly, I felt our execution was not the greatest in the first half. We have a lot of opportunities that we did not finish. I thought with the amount of players that were missing we did a nice job of stepping up. I did really like how hard our girls played and the energy that they brought.”

Through two games, the Wildcat defense has yet to allow a goal thanks to the defensive backfield of seniors Ruth Minster, Sammy McDaniel, junior Brianne Kuhlman, sophomore Hailey Sword and freshman Evyn Richardson, along with goalies Sierra Hahn and Macy Lemke.

“Our defense is doing ok,” Conley said. “To be fair we have not been really tested as of yet, but I really like their willingness to learn and improve each and every training session. We will have a lot of pressure on them in games ahead and will need to make sure we are prepared for those teams.”

Louisburg will try for its third straight win at 6 p.m. tonight when it hosts Wyandotte.