Much like the cold breeze that blew over Lobo Field Tuesday, there was little the Lehman Lady Lobos soccer team could do to weather the Lake Travis Lady Cavaliers.
A relentless Lake Travis attack that spanned from whistle to whistle proved too much for Lehman to contain in a 3-0 home loss.
Part of the struggle for the Lady Lobos (4-3, 2-2) was containing a Lake Travis offense that aggressively pushed the tempo forward for the majority of the match. Lady Lobo head coach Sean Dickson said Lake Travis’ athleticism allowed the Lady Cavs to control the open space on the field, primarily in the scoring third, as well as maintain possession for most of the match.
That aggressive play paid dividends when the Lady Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead ten minutes into the match.
A second goal scored 12 minutes prior to halftime gave Lake Travis a commanding 2-0 lead. On the opposite side, Dickson said Lehman’s offense couldn’t get “ball to feet” and was unable to combine multiple passes together. A physical Lake Travis midfield and back line kept Lehman from generating any momentum on offense.
“Since we couldn’t get the ball to field, we couldn’t get the midfield into the game and couldn’t get passes together,” Dickson said. “It wound up being a long night for us.”
Amid the struggles, Dickson lauded goalkeeper Emma Botello who withstood Lake Travis’ first half onslaught and limited the Lady Cavs to only one more goal the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Lehman’s offense generated a handful of attacks into Lake Travis’ territory in the second half.
“They’re a fighting unit. They all fight. They’re all getting after it,” Dickson said. “I like that about them. They’re a collective unit. They make it a joy, to coach girls like that.”
Having now played Lake Travis and Westlake, currently the top two teams in 25-6A, for the first time this season, Dickson said Lady Lobo players still maintain a “why not us” mentality.
Despite falling short in both contests, Dickson said Lady Lobos remain confident they can keep pace with the frontrunners.
“I don’t think the Lake Travises or the Westlakes really intimidate them. They sit there and say, ‘why can’t we play with them?” Dickson said.
Lehman plays at Del Valle Saturday, followed by taking on rival Hays Tuesday at Shelton Stadium at 7:45 p.m.
