by JASON GORDON
Stephanie Segovia (above) and the Hays girls soccer team fell to 2-1-1 in district play with a 1-0 loss against Dripping Springs on Friday night. (Photo by Rudy Gonzalez)
The Hays girls soccer team has allowed only one goal in district play, but fell to 2-1-1 in 51-4A action after a narrow loss at Dripping Springs Friday night.
The 1-0 Lady Rebels loss came after Dripping Springs scored the game’s lone goal in the second half on one of the few corner kicks Hays allowed.
“It was an excellent game,” Hays head coach Ryan Race said. “We played a lot of good soccer and a lot of great defense.”
Hays goal keeper Alyssa Christian made eight magnificent saves to give Hays a chance.
“Alyssa played great, and so did their freshman keeper,” Race said. “Lena New also played outstanding and led our defensive effort.”
Despite the fact Hays was held scoreless on offense twice last week, in a 0-0 tie against Lehman and the 1-0 loss to Dripping Springs, Race isn’t too concerned.
“We’re a team that’s based on defense,” he said. “We’re not a team that’s going to score tons of goals like in the past.”
He said he feels it won’t be long before Hays’ offense starts to put some goals in the back of the net.
“We’ve been hammering good shots toward the goal, they just haven’t been going in,” Race said. “The scoring will come. I have full confidence in my strikers and wings, Stephanie Segovia, Laura Vogt, Kelli Uresti and Natasha Anderson. I expect them to turn things around pretty quickly.”
Hays senior Katy Mendoza said the Lady Rebels will continue to improve.
“We are still coming together as a team, and we still feel like we have a lot of work to do,” Mendoza said. “Our hearts are definitely still in the effort and we aren’t about to give up hope that this can be a very good team.”
Race agrees Hays is a team that has yet to reach its peak.
“Even though the scoreboard may not show it, I feel like we’ve improved with every district game we’ve played,” Race said. “I still have no doubt that this is a playoff team and a team that can do well in the postseason.”
