NKyTribune sports reporter

The annual Soccerama preseason scrimmage games for Northern Kentucky boys teams will be a three-day event with games scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at Covington Catholic High School.

Two the 22 teams involved in Soccerama are CovCath and Campbell County, winners of the 9th and 10th Region championships last season. In the first two rounds of the state playoffs, they both lost to Lexington Henry Clay, the eventual state champion.

Campbell County had seven seniors who played in all 25 games and their starting goalkeeper graduate in May. Four of the field players accounted for 46 of the team’s 71 goals and 25 of 50 assists.

CovCath also came into preseason practice with several vacancies to fill in its starting lineup. The Colonels had eight seniors who played in 21 or more games last season and their starting goalkeeper was also among the departing graduates.

After scoring 17 goals in three 9th Region tournament victories, the Colonels got only one against Henry Clay in the opening round of the state playoffs.

It was the first time since 1999 that a 9th Region team didn’t make it to the final four in the boys state tournament bracket.

Five players who were first-team selections on the Northern Kentucky Soccer Coaches Association all-star team last season are among this year’s senior class.

Those returning players are forward Maddox Pemberton of Cooper, midfielder Trevor Bolte of Dixie Heights and defenders Tanner Robertson of CovCath, Logan Thomas of St. Henry and Donovan Lameier of Dixie Heights.

Robertson was named Defensive Player of the Year by the local coaches. He was also a first-team all-state selection for Regions 9-16 along with Pemberton and Lameier.

Admission at the gate to each Soccerama session will be $6 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets are available online for $5 and $3 (with a fee) by going to the covcath.org website.

BOYS SOCCERAMA SCHEDULE

(all games at Covington Catholic High School)

TUESDAY

Cooper vs. Newport Central Catholic, 6 p.m.

Dixie Heights vs. Ryle, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Boone County vs. Beechwood, 6 p.m.

St. Henry vs. Highlands, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY

Holmes vs. Calvary Christian, 9 a.m.

Pendleton County vs. Carroll County, 10:30 a.m.

Walton-Verona vs. Scott, noon

Villa Madonna vs. Campbell County, 3:30 p.m.

Holy Cross vs. Grant County, 5 p.m.

Simon Kenton vs. Conner, 6:30 p.m.

Covington Catholic vs. Brossart, 8 p.m.

Highlands soccer teams practicing at new complex

The Highlands boys and girls soccer teams are permitted to practice on the new synthetic turf field installed at Tower Park that’s part of a multi-million dollar upgrade of the athletic complex used by the high school.

The renovation also includes an expanded resurfaced track, enhanced seating, upgraded restroom facilities and a fieldhouse where student-athletes can train.

There will also be improved parking and smoother access routes in and out of the Fort Thomas complex.

Highlands athletic director Wes Caldwell said the soccer teams will play their home games at Northern Kentucky University until the Tower Park facility is able to accommodate spectators.

Caldwell plans to attend a meeting on Monday to get an idea of how long that will take. When the complex is not being used for athletics, it will be open to participants of all ages and abilities in the surrounding community.

High school soccer season opens on Aug. 11. Last year, the Highlands boys and girls teams both made it to the 9th Region finals. The girls team defeated Conner, 1-0, to claim the title and the boys team lost to Covington Catholic, 3-1.

Cooper graduate resumes rookie season in WNBA

Cooper graduate Lexi Held played in the last three WNBA games for the Phoenix Mercury after missing seven consecutive games while recovering from an injury during her rookie season.

The 5-foot-10 guard was averaging 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists off the bench for Phoenix when she suffered a partially collapsed lung in a collision with another player during an away game on June 19.

On Sunday, Held played 8 minutes, 48 seconds and contributed two points and one assist during her team’s 88-72 win over the Washington Mystics. In her first two games back last week, she played 12 and 10 minutes, adding six points, three rebounds and two assists to her season totals.

The Mercury will visit the Indiana Fever at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a nationally televised game on ESPN3. That would give Held’s family and friends in Northern Kentucky a chance to see her play at the WNBA venue that’s closest to home.