BRIDGEPORT – A penalty kick shootout doomed the Wichita Falls High School girls soccer team last year.
Against a Saginaw Boswell squad that seemed overmatched at times Thursday night, the Lady Coyotes found themselves in the same nerve-tingling predicament.
The seventh round of PKs was its ending point a year ago, but it was that round where Old High triumphed at Bull Memorial Stadium, celebrating a 3-2 victory after a Boswell miss over the crossbar.
The Lady Coyotes had the better run of play for much of the match, even taking a 2-1 lead three minutes into the first 10-minute overtime on a Janae Sanchez goal off a corner kick.
But twice Boswell answered after WFHS scores and needed goalie Mckenna Leveling to make several saves in the second half to force overtime.
“That’s soccer. First half we had a lot of great opportunities and same thing down here in the second half,” WFHS coach Rob Woodard said. “We just couldn’t get a toe on it. But the girls stepped up on penalty kicks.”
The Lady Coyotes won the PK session 5-4 as Alyssa Salinas, Alyssa Hollis, Tagen Hansen, Ashby Hood and Emma Antill all converted their shots. WFHS had a chance to win on the last attempt of the best-of-five format, but Ashland Hansen pushed her shot wide.
Old High keeper Zoe Brewster saved Boswell’s second PK and the Lady Pioneers also sent two over the crossbar, including the clinching seventh-round attempt.
The fact the Lady Coyotes (17-5-3) found themselves in penalties had to be frustrating after dictating possession in Boswell’s end. Twice shots his crossbars and two more times Lady Pioneer defenders cleared balls off lines.
“I felt like we completely dominated that whole game. Both times they scored right after we did,” Woodard said. “That’s kind of frustrating and pretty uncharacteristic of my team. But I was very pleased with the way they came out in the second half. I thought we were nervous and timid in the first half.”
Alyssa Mullins converted Salinas’ through ball for a breakaway goal in the 17th minute, but Boswell’s Trinity Woods equalized with 15 minutes left in the half.
When Sanchez converted Old High’s corner kick early in the first OT, it seemed like the Lady Coyotes could relax, but Boswell’s Destiny Cordova scored on a corner less than two minutes later.
“It was definitely frustrating, but I knew we’d come out strong and finish as hard as we did,” Salinas said. “I knew we couldn’t do it without everyone else. We all worked hard and put everything we had in it.”
WFHS advances to face either Grapevine (22-1-1) or Fort Worth Trimble Tech in the area round next week. That bi-district matchup will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Bedford’s Pennington Field.
If it is the Lady Mustangs, it’ll be the third straight postseason the two teams will have met. Although Grapevine won the first two, Woodard hopes his girls will benefit from Thursday’s close call.
“What a great way compared to how we finished last year,” Woodard said. “I think the girls will learn from this. I think we’ll step up and be ready.”