Seeing a need to push the pace ahead, Lehman Lady Lobo Meagan Morris (left) rips a pass deeper into the 18-yard box as an Austin Maroon player arrives in defense.
With time winding down off the Lobo Field scoreboard Tuesday, the Lehman Lady Lobo soccer team was primed for a critical shutout win.
But an Austin High penalty kick with one minute left in the game cut those hopes short as the Lady Lobos were relegated to a 1-1 draw.
“They went up against a real physical, speedy team and we did a good job neutralizing it,” Lehman head coach Sean Dickson said. “You wish they didn’t get that PK (penalty kick) at the very end. It just happens, it's part of the game.”
After a stalemate first half where neither team attempted more than five shots, both teams turned up the heat in the second half. The Lady Lobos scored their only goal of the night in the fifteenth minute of the second half when a Megan Morris shot slipped through the hands of Austin High’s goalkeeper.
“You put the ball in the box for a reason,” Dickson said. “Sometimes weird things happen in the box. You tell players to always put balls in the box. A weird thing happened and the ball got in the back of the net.”
Austin High pressed forward in the ensuing 15 minutes and attempted four shots, two on goal, attempting to steal a point in district with a tie game. Until the final minute, Lehman’s defense held strong and limited scoring opportunities.
“Again I’ll say this, our backline, they do really good,” Dickson said. “They are a stone wall. You hate to see that goal happen at the very end, because that’s not a clear reflection of how well they played.”
But with one minute left on the clock, Austin High successfully executed a penalty kick which was given after a bang-bang play at the edge of the box that resulted in a foul.
The Lady Lobos attempted to make a last ditch effort to score again in the final 60 seconds, but time ran out after their free kick on the final play of the game went over the cross bar.
Sitting at 10-2-1 in 25-6A, Lehman enters a pivotal three-game road stretch against two of the top three programs in the district. After the game versus Ann Richards Friday, Lehman squares off against Westlake and Lake Travis in back-to-back contests.
“I want them to continue to be mentally tough,” Dickson said. “They’ve been mentally tough all season long. They are fun, and hopefully they continue that mental toughness for sure.”
Lehman returns home Feb. 25 against the Del Valle Lady Cardinals.
