Wildcats shutout Baldwin to get league road win

By Andy Brown
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Updated: April 16, 2024

***Louisburg senior Lexi Hampton heads a shot toward the goal Thursday against Baldwin.***

BALDWIN CITY — Prior to the season, the Louisburg girls soccer team had two games circled on its schedule.

They were league games against Spring Hill and Baldwin — a pair of teams the Wildcats have struggled with in recent years. Louisburg wanted to exact some revenge.

Despite falling in an overtime match to Spring Hill earlier in the year, the Wildcats got the win they were looking for on a windy Thursday in Baldwin City.

Louisburg scored a pair of goals within minutes of each other in the second half and the Wildcats left with a 2-0 victory over the Bulldogs. It was also the second straight win for Louisburg as the Wildcats are now 6-2 on the season.

“One of the goals we made for this group was that when we play teams that we have not done well against in the past, is we want to change that narrative,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “The two teams we circled before the season was Spring Hill and Baldwin. They are two in league teams and we haven’t had the best success against them lately. We did a good job against Spring Hill, and it was a game we should have won.

“The girls showed a lot of fight and determination against Baldwin. We had girls who were sick, some girls that were banged up and we need some time off. We are shallow in our substitutions right now. It was really good for the girls to get this win. They put a lot of effort and fight into this.”

The Wildcats controlled possession in the first half as they battled gusty wind conditions, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Baldwin turned the tides after halftime as it used the wind to create several opportunities, but the back line of Jaden Bentz, Hailey Sword, Faith Sewell and Lila Edwards turned away several chances.

Louisburg goalie Macy Lemke, who also earned the clean sheet, corralled several saves to keep the match scoreless.

***Louisburg defender Faith Sewell tries to clear the ball away from a Baldwin player Thursday on the road.***

Then, midway though the second half, the Wildcat attack got going.

Junior midfielder Rowan Yows got a through ball down the left side. She sent a cross into the box and it found the foot of freshman Ellia Gibbons, who scored her first varsity goal to put the Wildcats up one.

Just a few minutes later, the Wildcats used the same play in their favor. Yows got a ball down the left side, crossed the ball in, and senior Lexi Hampton found the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Yows, who battled an injury throughout the match, found a little extra as she made two of the bigger passes in the match.

“When Rowan was off the field, I decided to play her more out wide and away from the middle of the field and all the tackles,” York said. “She got a couple balls played through and she has a great left foot cross. It put the goalie in a bad situation with both of them in the wind.

“At the time we weren’t in control of what was happening, and then all of sudden we made some plays and that is what good teams do. Was very pleased we faced adversity and really stuck with it and happy they got the result they wanted.”

Louisburg was battling illness and injury throughout the match and it left the Wildcats’ bench razor thin against one of the better teams in the league. Gibbons and Rylee Moore gave the Wildcats some much need minutes in the win.

“Our subs that come on for us right now, Rylee and Ellia, are really critical for us right now,” York said. “Right now, we are really only two deep and would like to have a couple more and hopefully we can expand our bench a little bit. Rylee did a good job and Ellia played a great game.”

The Wildcats will try and make it three straight wins as they travel for a non-league contest at Chanute. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Louisburg blanks Tonganoxie.

Louisburg traveled to square off with Tonganoxie on April 9 in hopes of snapping a two-match losing skid.

The Wildcats did just that as they shutout the Chieftains, 4-0, to improve in the Frontier League standings and got back on the winning track.

Senior Lexi Hampton scored a pair of goals to lead the Louisburg attack, while sophomore Mena Fercho and senior Hailey Sword also found the back of the net.