vs. Memorial High School Mustangs – Tuesday, March 7th

On Tuesday night, the Lady Spartans hosted the MHS Mustangs at Tully Stadium. The Stratford Varsity Girls Soccer Team has spent years trying to break through against rival Memorial, and now that the Spartans gained control of the series, they were looking to clinch a repeat District 17-6A Championship and push their District record to 13-0-0. The Spartans advanced to the Region III-6A Championship match last year, but their success against 2018 State Champion Memorial has been a comparable barometer. The Mustangs won 13 straight against SHS beginning in 2014, including a 2021 Regional Quarterfinal on their way to the State Tournament. But Stratford took the series 1-0 and 2-0 last year, adding a 4-1 victory in early February.

In this last match against their rival Mustangs, you could see right away that the team was playing as one. Just nine minutes after the opening kickoff, Sophomore Allison Goodwin makes a great run up the right side and slides one over to Sophomore Mary Paul, who is at the top of the box, but just misses wide left. However, just minutes later at 14’, Senior Lauren Ahearn leads Goodwin perfectly up the middle of the field, where she beats the goalie one-on-one, to go up 1-0. Two minutes later, SHS would earn a corner at 25’, but the kick was too strong and carried all the way across the field. Sophomore Whitney Bui was there waiting for the ball though and played it back to the middle, where Goodwin found the back of the net, 2-0. Senior Kristin Geczik would finish the first half scoring at the 31-minute mark with a direct kick from 20 yards out to take the Spartans to halftime, 3-0. The Spartans attacked quickly from the start of the game and worked well in space, with passes from several angles hitting players in stride.

As the second half got underway, it was more of the same for the Spartans - unselfish play and putting the team first. In the 46th-minute, Bui led Goodwin up the right side, who took the ball to the end-line and crossed a perfect ball in front of the goal to a charging Sophomore Ryann Weber, who delivered the fourth goal of the night for Stratford. In the 51st-minute, after a steal by Paul, she sends one ahead of Goodwin, who has the goalie one-on-one and could have easily taken the shot, but she sees Weber on the outside and recognizes that the right play is to make the pass and have Weber take the sure thing and push the lead to a dominating 5-0.

Stratford Goalkeeper, Senior Allison Zilafro, made six saves over the course of the night, allowing only one goal in the 57th-minute to the Mustangs' Adelhia Ghonda (an Oklahoma State commit). A defensive effort including Ellie Stephenson, Annika DeJager, Whitney Bui, Hannah Ryan, and Lizzy Emerson helped maintain the advantage over the course of the game.

With this victory, the Lady Spartans (15-4-3, 13-0-0) clinched a repeat District 17-6A Championship with the 5-1 victory over the Mustangs (14-4-3, 10-2-1). This was the Spartans' 13th consecutive victory, with one game left before beginning an anticipated postseason. The Spartans intend to face comparable talent deep in the postseason, following a memorable 20-4-4 campaign in 2022. Stratford reached a Regional Tournament for the first time in nine years and played for the III-6A Championship, falling 2-0 in overtime to undefeated Ridge Point.

vs. Jersey Village High School Falcons – Friday, March 10th

On Friday night the Lady Spartans traveled up the Beltway to battle in their last District game of the season against the Falcons from Jersey Village. At the 10-minute mark, Sophomore Allison Goodwin makes a run up the right side and takes the ball to the end-line, where she slides one across the middle to Sophomore Ryann Weber, who flicks it in the back of the goal to put the Spartans up 1-0. About midway through the first half, at 17’, Senior Annika DeJager dribbles the ball from deep in the Spartan end, almost the length of the field before giving it up to Goodwin, who fires to the inside post, increasing the lead to 2-0. At the 22-minute mark, Senior Lauren Ahearn steals the ball at midfield, and after evading two defenders, makes the perfect lead pass to Goodwin, who receives the ball in stride and easily beats the goalie one-on-one to widen the gap to 3-0. As the first half is coming to a close, with 3 minutes to go until halftime, Weber takes on several Falcon defenders, weaving through and past each one who tries to challenge her, but she ends the run by firing high inside the left post, and closing out the first 40 minutes with a 4-0 lead.

As the Spartans took the field for the second half, Coach Walters took the opportunity to make a complete line change and get everyone game minutes before the playoffs start. SHS has several shot opportunities but couldn’t connect on any of them until the 73rd-minute when Sophomore Mary Paul takes a corner kick from the right side on the Falcon end of the field. Paul was able to carry the ball to the far post, where Ahearn was waiting to head it in the back of the net and close out the final regular season game, 5-0. With this win, your Varsity Girls Soccer Team wrapped up District play with a perfect record of 14-0-0, and with a very impressive conference tally of 80 goals for versus 4 goals against.

After Spring Break, the Varsity Girls Soccer Program will be back at it again hoping to match and surpass their 2022 post-season run. The post-season schedule is as follows:

Mar 23-25: Bi-District

Mar 27-28: Area

Mar 30-Apr 1: Regional Quarter Finals

April 7-8: Regional Tournament

April 12-15: State Finals