Stratford vs Dawson High School - 01.18.23

On Tuesday January 17th, your Varsity Girls Spartan Soccer team traveled to Pearland to battle the Dawson High School Eagles in their last match before district play starts this coming week. Stratford wasted no time and went on the attack as soon as the whistle was blown to start the game. Just six minutes into the game, Junior Lizzie Emerson dribbled the ball from midfield up the left side of the pitch and crossed it to Senior Lauren Ahearn (who snuck by her defender) and took a calculated shot towards the far-right post to get SHS on the board, 1-0. Not too much longer into the game at the 10’ mark, Senior Kristin Geczik was the first to the ball off of a Dawson punt and was able to control it and make a pass up the right side to Sophomore Allison Goodwin, who outran the whole defensive back-line and took a shot left-side, easily beating the Eagles goalie to increase the lead to 2-0. Even with those two quick scores, Stratford wasn’t going to let up. At the 13’ mark, Sophomore Ryann Weber was fouled on the Dawson end of the field near the right corner, and the Spartans would lean on Sophomore Mary Paul to take the free kick. Paul was able to lay it out right in front of Weber, who headed it toward the goal, but the keeper barely swatted it away – but not far enough, as Geczik was waiting nearby to clean up the deflection and put the ball in the back of the net to go up, 3-0. Your Spartans would continue to dominate possession of the ball the last 20 minutes of the half, getting off several more shots, but not able to connect on any of them and that would take us to halftime leading 3-0.

Once again, the Spartans jumped right into control of the second half and barely a minute in, Weber was able to take the ball up the right side of the field, weaving in and out of defenders, and fire a shot past the Dawson goalie to put Stratford up 4-0. At the 58’ mark, Dawson was able to make a run and sneak one past our waiting goalie to get on the board and bring the score to 4-1. That would end up being the only challenge that evening as the Spartans largely dominated both ends of the field all night. SHS was able to close out non-district play with a W and a big boost of confidence going into next week where they will face two tough Cy-Fair teams.

Come out and support your Varsity Girls Spartan Soccer team on Tuesday, January 24th at 7:15pm where they will open district play at home against a tough 11th Ranked 6A-Region 3 Cy-Fair HS team.