It may have not been their home "turf" but it was their home "grass," as the Southwestern Lady Warriors kicked off their run in the 12th Region Tournament on Monday with a solid 4-1 victory over Lincoln County.
Both teams put up a solid defensive stand over the first several minutes, until Aurielle Estes scored in the 22nd minute to give her team the 1-0 edge. Clare-Marie Ramsey added to that lead just five minutes later, putting the Warriors ahead 2-0. That lead stuck at the half, with the back line of the Warriors and two saves for Kylie Dalton preventing the Patriots from doing much on offense.
The lead increased further for the Warriors in the 48th minute, as Estes beat the defenders and scored her second goal of the game to make it 3-0. Lincoln was eventually able to get on the board however, as Riley Toundes scored in the 54th minute to make it 3-1.
Dalton ended up adding several more crucial saves in the final 20 minutes of the game. Shayla Jones continued her stellar year with a goal in the final minute to ice away a 4-1 win for the hosting team, with the Warriors advancing to the semifinals for the third-consecutive year.
Southwestern improves to 18-3-1 on the season and will take on West Jessamine in the semifinals of the 12th Region Tournament on Tuesday. The Colts took an earlier matchup this season 3-0. Kick between the Warriors and the Colts is slated for 8 p.m.