Dripping Springs flexed its muscles with a dominant 2-0 bi-district playoff round soccer victory over Austin McCallum March 28 at Tony Burger Stadium.
The Tigers claimed the win in what was a physical battle from start to finish.
“Finally through the first one so we can kind of breathe,” Lady Tigers head coach Bailee Perrine said on the bi-district win. “You’ve gotten the first few girls that have never played in a playoff game and we’ve got them through a playoff game now.”
The Lady Tigers freshman duo of Sofia Picucci and Georgia Irons came up huge in the first half of play as they gave Dripping Springs the early 1-0 lead only 20 minutes into the game.
Picucci placed a nice ball into the box where Irons fought multiple McCallum defenders to gain control of the ball. Once Irons secured possession, she launched a shot towards the goal, which then was deflected off the goalkeeper’s hands and into the back of the net.
“They didn’t relax for sure, I think my team gets anxious until they score,” Perrine said. “Once they score they start playing like they know how to. I think my team steps up in the second half after they’ve talked to each other, they’ve communicated a little bit, I’ve told them things I’ve seen. They tend to calm down a little more in the second half and play better.”
Dripping Springs continued its physical style of play into the second half with their mid-fielders and defenders not allowing the Knights to possess the ball on the back half of the field.
“I think my defense played phenomenal,” Perrine said. “They cleared it out of the back; and good center-back leadership from Jane Atwood and Avery Davis. It got pretty physical towards the end, and I think us staying in it mentally honestly it might have motivated us a little more towards the end.”
Sophomore Caroline Luttrull extended the Lady Tiger lead in the second half to 2-0 with a 25-yard laser shot into the top left corner of the goal with 23:23 left in the game. Dripping Springs’ defense played smart and physical ball the rest of the game to secure the first round playoff victory.
Although the Lady Tiger defense didn’t give up many opportunities to the McCallum attack, sophomore goalkeeper Eli Jones came up with two huge saves in the game to keep her team afloat.
“I told them at the beginning of the game, these are the games that you might not have a shot for thirty minutes and then you have one on you,” Perrine said. “You have to be mentally focused, yell at your teammates, do whatever you need to do to stay mentally in the game the whole time.”
Dripping Springs continued its postseason march Tuesday against San Antonio Highlands. An update to Tuesday’s area round playoff game can be found online at haysnewsdispatch.com.
