BY MOSES LEOS III
It took 67 seconds for the Lehman Lady Lobo soccer team to prove history wouldn’t slip through its proverbial fi ngers Saturday at Shelton Stadium. A goal in the opening moments set the tone, as Lehman defeated the Bastrop Lady Bears 4-0 in a one-game playoff for second place in 49-4A. The Lady Lobos claimed second in 49-4A – the highest district finish any Lady Lobo soccer team has accomplished in its history But the Lady Lobos’ season came to an end Tuesday in a 1-0 defeat to the East View Lady Patriots in the bi-district round of the playoffs. On Saturday, Lehman took little time to assert its offense. Head coach Nauri Garcia stressed forward movement and taking shots. It paid dividends, as freshman Neftali Mercado lofted a 30-yard shot that sailed past the Lady Bear goalkeeper. With a 1-0 lead in hand, Lehman focused on the defensive end. The Lady Lobo defense clamped down in the midfi eld, staving off any Bastrop runs – a theme for the remainder of the contest. The Lady Lobos took off from there, scoring three goals in the final 25 minutes of the first half. Sophomore Pamela Lasprillla, along with seniors Max Soto and Shayla Seeger-Avona contributed goals. However, the Lady Lobos struggled to muster the same performance against East View. The Lady Patriots attained the early momentum, halting any forward movement from the Lady Lobos. “They had a lot of good attackers in the middle,” Lehman junior Pressley Bailey said. “It was diffi cult to work around them. We found the outside fl ags but it wasn’t enough.” On the opposite side, East View frequently attacked the Lady Lobo defense. Lehman struggled to work the ball out of its zone. The issue proved costly, as East View’s Alyssa Vasquez scored with 11:30 left in the fi rst half, giving the Lady Patriots a 1-0 lead. Lehman attempted to get back in the contest. Soto said a change in tactics and formation helped spur progress. The moves couldn’t allow Lehman to incorporate their offense. “We like to shoot from distance; that’s our strength,” Soto said. “I think we tried to play that. It worked for our district, but it didn’t work tonight.” The Lady Lobos continued to battle, striving to fi nd the equalizer. Their persistence led to several chances to tie the score, but none materialized. Looking back, Bailey was pleased with the team’s perseverance over early season struggles. For Soto and the seniors, the fourstraight playoff appearances and history making feats are milestones set for future Lady Lobos. “(The seniors) have been a part of a playoff team for the past four [seasons]. We’re the fi rst group of seniors to [do that],” Soto said. “I couldn’t be more happy with the teams I’ve had.”
