Stratford vs Westside High School – Thursday, March 23rd – Playoff Game #1

On a cool and overcast Thursday evening, your Undefeated District Champ  Varsity Girls Soccer Team traveled to Spring Woods Stadium to meet the Westside High School Wolves in the first playoff game of the 2023 season (the Bi-District Round). The Spartans were looking to score early and often in this match-up and it wouldn’t take long to find the back of the net in this initial post-season game. Just three minutes into play, Sophomore Mary Paul would find Senior Lauren Ahearn all alone on the left side,  where she would dribble past two defenders and ultimately slide one across the front of the goal where Sophomore Allison Goodwin was waiting to tap in the first goal of the 2023 playoffs, 1-0. Two minutes later at the 5-minute mark, Paul would take a right corner kick and have it bounce off the near post, but Sophomore Whitney Bui was there for the deflection and was able to fire the ball back to the left side to take SHS to 2-0. At the 10-minute mark, it was Senior Captain Ahearn again with a run-up the left side, weaving through defenders to take the goalie one-on-one and increase the lead to 3-0. About halfway through the first half of play at 23’, Paul makes a nice lead pass up the left side to Ahearn, who is able to slide one across from left to right and find Sophomore Ryann Weber waiting to fire goal number 4 in the back of the net (4-0). We wouldn’t have to wait much longer for something to cheer, for two minutes later (25’), Junior Lizzie Emerson passed up the right side to Weber, who took a hard shot that was deflected back into space, where Freshmen Sydney Valentine was waiting to score her first high-school playoff goal and increase the lead to 5-0. The big first half lead allowed the Spartans to sub several players including giving some first Varsity minutes to Freshman Avery Rushing.

As the second half was getting underway, the Spartans had the wind at their backs and the play-off spirit at full steam. Two minutes back into play (42’), Ahearn steals a short punt from the Wolves' goalie, drives by one defender, and fires hard inside the left post to take the Spartans to 6-0. Stratford continued to keep the pressure on and at the 48-minute mark, Sophomore Hannah Ryan dribbled up the left sideline, finding Ahearn in space, who made a quick move and centered the ball to Paul, who fired left-side to increase the lead to a comfortable 7-0. It was at this point that Coach Walters made the choice to empty the bench and play 11 vs. 10 for the remainder of the game. However, even short-handed, it’s hard to beat a squad as skilled and deep as this year’s team. At 66’, Senior Kristin Geczik took a corner kick earned by SHS from the left side and needed zero help as she was able to bend it in and off the goalie’s glove to make it 8-0. As time was ticking down in playoff game #1, Rushing took a corner kick from the left side and sailed a perfect ball across the front of the goal to the far post where Freshman Sara Benton headed it in at 77’ to wrap up a completely dominating game with a 9-0 victory.

The Lady Spartans will be back at Stratford on Tuesday night at 6:30 pm to face the Fort Bend Elkins Knights in playoff game #2 – the Area Round. Come out and support the Varsity Girls Soccer Team as they attempt to make another deep run in the playoffs.