by MOSES LEOS III
Drama, suspense, controversy, non-stop action – all of these attributes were on display in Tuesday’s bi-district girls soccer playoff game between Lehman and Pflugerville Connally.
Yet, 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime play was not enough to quash the excitement. The Lady Lobos and Lady Cougars took the contest to a penalty kick shootout, with Lehman winning 10-8, 5-3 in the penalty kick session.
With the win, Lehman advances to the Area round of the UIL Playoffs, where they take on Cedar Park.
The Lady Lobos began the contest on a lethargic note, struggling to keep possession of the ball on offense. Without standout junior Max Soto in the lineup, who was out with an ankle injury, Lehman had difficulty early on pushing the ball down field. On the opposite side, Connally had few issues utilizing their quickness and power in the midfield. Often, the Lady Cougars found open players down the flank, with lots of room to attack the Lobo defense.
“We played defensively quite a bit,” Lehman head coach Nauri Garcia said. “Their attack was very well organized. We just held off and pushed for counterattacks, which are our strength. We are a counter attack team.”
The Lady Cougars took advantage of the defensive ideology of the Lobos. Connally’s speed and strength on both sides of the ball overwhelmed the Lady Lobos, who were unable to corral the forwards. Connally scored first with 29 minutes remaining in the first half. They struck twice more in a span of seven minutes, with Fali Garuba scoring both goals for the Lady Cougars, giving them a 3-0 lead halfway through the first half.
“They were really aggressive, they were coming at us really hard,” senior left fullback Anjelica Romero said. “They were getting by us.”
At that point, the energy and enthusiasm had been expunged from the predominant Lehman crowd. The speed and tenacity of the Lady Cougar offense took many by surprise. For many, Connally’s three initial goals seemed to spell the end of the contest.
However, no one told the Lady Lobos.
Lehman’s rally began with 17 minutes to go in the first half, as senior Madison Blok connected on 30 yard free kick to cut the Connally lead to 3-1. One minute later, on a full out counterattack, freshman Mena Svendson received a pass deep in the corner of the Connally zone. Instead of crossing the ball in front of the net, Svendson dribbled her way into the penalty box, using quick feet to navigate beyond defenders. Svendson’s effort led her to a point blank shot in front of the net, bringing Lehman back within one at 3-2.
“I got the ball and I decided to take it myself,” Svendson said. “We shut them down in the middle, we stopped their runs on the right side and we got a through ball. We just made it happen.”
In the second half, both teams turned up the offensive pressure, completing numerous runs downfield. The difference was the mentality of the Lady Lobos, who became more involved as the half progressed.
“When we scored the second goal, that’s when we got our hopes back,” Romero said. The Lobos’ change in mentality allowed the team to take control of the midfield and counterattack quite frequently. After a few near misses, the teams’ diligence paid off, as Shayla Seeger-Avona pushed beyond the Connally defense, eventually slipping a shot off of the goalpost to tie the contest at 3-3 with 11 minutes remaining.
Two minutes later, controversy would ensue, as the Lady Cougars earned a penalty kick via a questionable handball by a Lehman defender. Emma Mele knocked in the penalty to give Connally a 4-3 lead.
The disappointment of that call did not dissuade the Lady Lobos. Lehman fought back, eventually obtaining another free kick opportunity with eight minutes left in the game. The cannon leg of Blok once again proved crucial to the Lobos’ rally, as she drilled in another long range goal, this from 35 yards away, to re-tie the contest at 4-4.
The final eight minutes of the contest could be described as a mad dash to the finish. Both squads fought hard to gain and regain possession; both teams trying to out will their opponent.
While both teams scored one final goal each in the final few moments of regulation, the play of the goalkeepers should not be undersold. Both players had magnificent games, especially Lehman goalkeeper Evelyn Martinez, whose skills in the box during the second half contained Connally.
Still, 80 minutes was not enough to settle the first round playoff game. An additional 20 minutes of overtime play saw both squads nearly score go-ahead goals, but to no avail.
Therefore, both squads had to settle it on a best of five penalty shootout. Both teams made the first, but on the second round, Connally’s Mele missed to the left of the net. From there, the Lady Lobos netted four more penalty kicks, with Svendson scoring the final penalty to give Lehman the win.
According to Garcia, the team’s ability to win without the exemplary play of Soto loomed the largest in his mind. “I think people stepped up knowing that Max, the player that she is and leadership she shows on the field, was lacking,” Garcia said. “Pressley Bailey, Mariah Tamayo, Madison Blok and Evelyn Martinez all stepped up. Losing Max leaves a big void, but it takes a team to win a game. The girls put it together and pulled it off.”
In the players’ minds, the ability to keep their heads up, even when trailing 3-0 was critical to their comeback and eventual victory. “We kept telling ourselves that the game was not over,” said Romero. “We still had time; we just needed to keep going,”
With the win, Lehman advances to the Area round of the UIL playoffs, where they take on Cedar Park.
For Garcia, the Lady Lobos will be getting ready to prepare for their next game. “We’ll sit down, go through recovery tomorrow and get ready to play our best once again, “said Garcia, who was not worried about the quick turnaround. “I am all about getting on the field and playing. With the overtime game, one more day off would have been nice. But, it’s the playoffs; you play them when you can.”
The Lady Lobos’ Area Round match against Cedar Park takes place on Thursday, March 28. Kickoff at 7 p.m. at Lobo Field.
