LONDON — Corbin ended North Laurel’s three-year hold on the 49th District championship Thursday night, surviving two overtimes and a dramatic penalty-kick shootout to defeat the Lady Jaguars 5-4.
“I’m so excited and so proud of my team,” Corbin coach Hannah Goins said. “We’ve been working for this since we started in July. I told them all year, you can play with anybody. You can do whatever you set your mind to and you’re capable of so much.
“North Laurel beat us 2-0 earlier in the season, and they’re a very good team,” she added. “I’m so proud of our heart and effort, and how they came together as a team this season. It’s just been great.
“We are a very young team,” Goins continued. “The future looks bright for us. The biggest thing right now is we have a really good group that gets along.”
Neither team could find a deciding goal through regulation or the two overtime periods, forcing the championship to be settled from the penalty spot.
The shootout reached a 3-3 tie before Corbin’s Emma Massengill stepped up for the Lady Redhounds’ final kick. Massengill converted, providing the difference and setting off Corbin’s championship celebration.
The victory also ended a lengthy drought for the Lady Redhounds against North Laurel. Corbin had dropped six consecutive meetings to the Lady Jaguars since its last win in the series on Sept. 8, 2022.
North Laurel entered the championship having won three consecutive 49th District titles and carrying a 21-game winning streak against 13th Region opponents. Both streaks came to an end with Corbin’s victory.
The championship marked Corbin’s first 49th District title since Oct. 6, 2022, when the Lady Redhounds defeated South Laurel 2-1.
