Coach Quinton Mason’s Middlesboro girls soccer team put the finishing touches on its third consecutive season without losing a 50th District game Thursday night with a 7-0 road victory over injury-riddled Harlan County at the James A. Cawood Elementary School field.
Although she was credited with zero saves, Middlesboro senior goalkeeper Trinity Partin notched her seventh shutout of the season, while sophomore Alysia White scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Lady Yellow Jackets.
Junior Millie Roberts chipped in with two goals and an assist for Middlesboro and junior Abby Jackson notched a goal and added two assists. Sophomore Emily Parsons also scored a goal for the Lady Yellow Jackets.
Mason was pleased with his team’s performance, one of just a handful of games Middlesboro plays on grass.
“Coming to Harlan is always different,” Mason said after the game. “These girls play on turf about 90 percent of the season, and when they get to grass things change for them a little bit.
“They played hard. There are some things we’ve got to fix, but all in all it’s a good win. This is a really good team; I couldn’t ask for better. It’s been a really good season and it’s not over.”
Middlesboro improved to 9-2-1 with the victory.
After opening its season with a win on the road at Hazard, Harlan County has now dropped seven consecutive decisions and played Thursday against Middlesboro without four starters, including freshman goalkeeper Brooklyn Haywood and sophomore McKenna Dillman, the team’s top scorer.
“We are down four starters until probably district time,” first-year HCHS coach Trish Crider said after the game. “We’re working on being more aggressive, going for the ball and not letting the other team have control.”
Harlan County sophomore goalkeeper Madlyn Burkhart was credited with 25 saves.
Next up for Middlesboro is a game Tuesday in New Tazewell, Tenn., against Claiborne. The Lady Bears also return to action Tuesday with a game at Knox Central.