Stratford @ Jersey Village High School - 1.29.25

On Wednesday, January 29th the Varsity Girls Soccer Team was back out on the pitch on a cool and foggy night at Jersey Village High School for their third game of the first round of District play. It didn’t take long for Stratford to control play and start combining for numerous dangerous opportunities. In the 7th minute, Senior – Allison Goodwin intercepted a pass from the Falcons' defense, took the goalie one-on-one, and easily fired her first goal of the night to put SHS up 1-0 in the opening minutes. Just about a minute later, it was Goodwin again… this time Junior – Sara Benton played a great ball upfield that Goodwin was able to sprint to, leaving the JVHS defenders well behind her as she sped to the goal, once again beating the goalie one-on-one to increase the lead to 2-0. In the 19th minute, the crowd would be treated to an unexpected hat trick. Junior – Sydney Valentine worked the ball up the left side of the field and made a great cross to Senior – Ryann Weber, who just had her shot kicked away by the goalie at the last moment possible, but it was Goodwin who was trailing the play that jumped on the opportunity and fired the loose ball over the diving Falcon goalie for her third goal of the match (3-0). At the 27-minute mark, Benton won a goal kick at midfield and quickly found Valentine, who dribbled past two defenders and took a shot from distance (25 yards), squeezing the ball between the goalie and the right post to ultimately take the Green and White to halftime with a 4-0 advantage.

The second half of play started just as quickly as the first forty minutes. At the 42-minute mark, the Spartans would earn a corner kick that was taken by Benton, who sent the ball across the front of the goal, where it ricocheted to the far post and was cleaned up by Weber, who scored the first SHS goal of the second half, 5-0. With the game well in hand at this point, Coach Walters took the opportunity to give his players some different opportunities by sending his defenders to the front line and offense to defend the Spartan end of the field. In the 64th minute, Sophomore – Zoe Lawless blistered a shot from the top of the box that hit the bottom of the crossbar, but somehow didn't find its way in the goal, but luckily for the Spartans, Senior – Whitney Bui was in position to fire the loose ball back into the net for her first goal of the year and the 6th for SHS on the night. Lawless would get another chance for her first goal of the year just a few minutes later. Senior – Liz Byrd worked the ball up the right sideline and lofted a pass to the front of the goal that bounced off the keeper’s gloves and was then slammed back into the net by Lawless to take the match to 7-0. At the 78-minute mark, Weber dribbled up the right sideline making her way to the goal and firing from distance to the far post, where the Falcon Goalie made a play, but couldn’t handle the shot – it was there that Sophomore – Audrey Brendel took advantage and quickly fired the ball into the back of the net for the 8th goal of the night, triggering the mercy rule and ending the game before regulation time expired. This is the third straight match in a row that the Spartans have dominated and wrapped up the match inside the 80-minute time frame. Up next for the Lady Spartans is a rare Saturday morning game where they will be taking on the Cy Fair Bobcats at Cy Fair FCU Stadium in Cypress.

Stratford @ Cy Fair High School – 2.1.2025

On Saturday, February 1st the Spartans would travel to Cy Fair High School to take on the Bobcats. Only five minutes into the match, it was Senior – Ryann Weber, who has a knack for starting the action, finding Allison Goodwin down the right side. Goodwin would split two Bobcat defenders before firing a top-shelf shot into the back of the net. Just a few minutes later, Junior – Sydney Valentine would win possession in the midfield and drive up the right sideline, driving toward the end line before crossing to a waiting Senior – Mary Charlotte Paul, who effortlessly one-touched the ball into the back of the net. In the 14th minute of the match, it would again be Valentine on the ball on the right side of the pitch driving toward  the end line. Her cross would barely catch the fingertips of the keeper, who wasn’t able to do enough to keep the ball from reaching its destination, and the feet of Goodwin would extend the Stratford lead to 3-0.

Only a few minutes later, Sophomore – Zoe Lawless would take possession at midfield and fire a 30-yard pass directly to the feet of an unmarked Junior – Sara Benton, who turned and fired to the top corner from 25 yards out to extend the Stratford lead. Senior – Elizabeth Byrd would be the next Spartan to get into the action, running onto an errant header from a Bobcat defender before shooting near post to earn her first goal of the year for Stratford. Junior – Avery Rushing would receive the ball on a short corner and fire the ball on goal. After bouncing around inside the box between Cy Fair and Stratford, an opportunistic Goodwin would weave through defenders to find an uncontrolled ball in front of the Bobcat goal to push the lead to 6-0 at the half.

Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Valentine would gain possession in the midfield and dribble across the field to the opposite side before crossing diagonally to the near post to a sprinting, unmarked Paul. She left no doubt as she buried the seventh goal of the match safely inside the far post. Goodwin would receive a pass from Valentine just outside of the Bobcat box and then play a great ball onto Paul 15 yards out. Paul was able to beat a defender, turn, and shoot to extend the lead to 8-0 with 30 minutes remaining in the match. The Spartans graciously refrained from attacking in the next ten minutes before the referee blew the whistle, once again enforcing the newly instated mercy rule.

The Spartans' defense and goalkeepers completely shut down the Cy Fair attack throughout the match. Credit is due to Senior – Hannah Ryan, Senior – Whitney Bui, Senior – Claire Lamon, Junior – Avery Rushing, Sophomore - Zoe Lawless, Sophomore – Trysta Troung, and Freshman – Hannah Hewitt as well as goalkeepers Senior – Liv Harbison and Sophomore – Addie Greenway, who all put on a defensive clinic at Cy Fair.

Your Spartans take the field again on Tuesday, February 4th at 7:15 pm at home versus new District foe, Cy Falls. Please come out and support this talented group of ladies!