CATLETTSBURG — North Laurel’s Brooklyn Mullins had save-after-save during Thursday’s Elite 8 showdown with high-scoring Boyd County showing why she was voted the best keeper in the 13th Region.
In Mullins had more than 10 saves in North Laurel’s second stunner in a row, defeating the Lady Lions, 1-0, and will now advance to its first Final Four appearance since 2020.
The win improves the Lady Jaguars to 13-3 on the season while Boyd County finishes with a 19-3-1 mark.
North Laurel handed the Lady Lions their first loss since Sept. 3 while shutting them out for only the third time this season.
The Lady Jaguars’ first two opponents had a combined 38-4-4 record before their respective matchups with North Laurel.
Kayla Bargo’s squad never seemed phased during either match, taking both Johnson Central’s and Boyd County’s best punches.
The Lady Jaguars have now recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time this season, and have a total of six.
The Lady Lions possessed the ball for most of the first and second halves, but North Laurel took advantage when it had possession of the ball.
Haley Combs’ goal (her 18th of the season) with 16:50 remaining in the first half turned out to be all the Lady Jaguars’ needed.
Mullins dominated in the keeper position, recording her sixth shutout while Blakelea Shaw turned in one of her best defensive efforts of the season, defending Boyd County leading goal scorer Faith Burnside through the match while holding her scoreless. Burnside entered the contest with 44 goals.
“What a fight,” North Laurel coach Kayla Bargo said. “I’m so incredibly proud of this team. I had a feeling in the first few minutes of the game that whoever could score first would win. Thankfully we found the next first, and that feeling held true.
“Brooklyn Mullins played the game of her life,” she added. “As our only senior she stepped up and carried us to the end of that game. So proud of her.
“Blakelea has been huge for us on the defensive side of the ball this year,” Bargo continued. “When we need anyone marked up, Blakelea is our girl. She does an outstanding job of shutting down offensive threats.”
North Laurel will be back in action Wednesday, Oct. 30 against Lexington Catholic at Paul Laurence Dunbar.
