By: James Weber (Cincinnati.com)
(Photo: James Weber/Community Recorder / The Community Recorder/James Weber)
LEXINGTON – Jeremy Robertson has been touting the balance of his Covington Catholic soccer team all season and has enjoyed watching the Colonels approach milestones.
After a dominant performance in all phases of the game Wednesday night, the Colonels matched or tied several team records, and are one win away from the biggest milestone in team history: a first-ever state championship.
CovCath (23-2-2) defeated Fern Creek (20-5-1) 5-0 in the state semifinals at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. The Colonels will play either Bowling Green or Henry Clay in the state finals at 5 p.m. on Saturday, also at Dunbar.
"It's an amazing feeling," CovCath junior Griffin Lamb said. "A 5-0 win in a state semifinal really pumps you up for the state final. We've been saying since the beginning of the season that we're going to make history, and we're really determined to do that."
The Colonels outshot Fern Creek 10-0 in the first 26 minutes of play before finding the back of the net three times in a six-minute span to gain control of the match.
Lamb scored the first two goals to give him 16 for the season. He gave CovCath the only goal it needed after one-timing an Austin Flynn pass from close range. Five minutes later, Lamb was left open in the middle and fired the ball in, deflecting off the left post. Nick Jacobs recorded the assist.
"The first play, we warm up with that drill: Cut to the endline, slide it across and have a one-touch shot," Lamb said. "I saw it coming from a mile away. The second one I just knew I had to find the post. Coach had taken me out and he told me I had to get a goal and I got one for us."
The second goal broke CovCath's team record of 102 goals set in 1992. The five markers gave the Colonels 106 for the season.
Less than a minute after Lamb's second goal, senior Michael Wessels volleyed in a rebound from 20 yards to make it 3-0 at the half, his eighth of the year.
Lamb helped make it 4-0, 10 minutes into the second half by passing to senior Jacob Litzler for a close-range shot in a similar play to Lamb's first goal. It was Litzler's team-high 24th. Cameron Berling notched his third of the year with four minutes to go for the final margin.
"We started out a little slow coming out of the gate, but we converted on some of their mistakes and started getting the ball across the goal, which opened up opportunities and opened up the middle," Robertson said. "(Lamb) has quick feet. He's able to turn on a guy pretty quick. He has good vision, too. We're definitely going to need to have him on fire (in the state finals)."
CovCath continued its standout defensive effort for the year, outshooting the Tigers 34-8 for the game. Senior keeper Sam Romes made three saves, all in the second half. The Colonels posted their 15th shutout of the season to tie a school record from 1987 and are tied with the 1982 team for goals allowed per game at 0.67. A shutout in the state final will set new marks in both categories.
Cov Cath's 23 wins is already a new school record, breaking the mark of 21 in both 1991 and '92. The Colonels advance to the state final for the third time in school history ('83, '98). It's only the ninth time in Northern Kentucky history, including five of the past nine seasons.