Rolling on to the regional semifinals, Boulder City High School girls soccer routed SLAM Academy 5-1 in the first round of the 3A Southern Region playoffs Tuesday, Nov. 2 .
“Our win against SLAM was a good welcome to (the) playoffs game for our team,” said Arnold Oeland, head coach. “This was a good acclimation game since missing a year.”
The Lady Eagles entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Mountain League and used a diverse offensive attack to cruise past the Bulls, netting goals from five different players. Senior Samantha Bahde and juniors Bree Leavitt and Miranda Williams each scored a goal, along with freshmen Madison Hammons and Makayla Nelson.
Williams and Nelson each dished out an assist on the night and freshman Abby Byington dished out a pair of assists.
Sophomore Ella Douglas also had an assist for the Lady Eagles, who never trailed during their opening round playoff matchup.
With a 13-2-1 record, the Lady Eagles have their eyes set on a return trip to the 3A state tournament after making an appearance in 2019. It would be their first state title since 2011.
Oeland, who has been growing the program since he took over in 2018, said he knows he faces an uphill battle to make it out of regionals but remains confident in his team. The Lady Eagles face rival Moapa Valley today, Nov. 4, in the semifinals at Bettye Wilson Park, 7353 Eugene Ave., in Las Vegas. The game starts at 4 p.m.
“Returning to state has been our goal,” Oeland said. “We didn’t get to play Moapa in (the) regular season, so we have to be fast learners if we expect to advance. Moapa is partially unknown, but we generally know their methodology. We are driven, consistent and ready to face the challenges upcoming.”
Wth a 17-4 record, the Moapa Valley Pirates currently stand in the way of the Lady Eagles making a return trip to state. The top two seeds in the Southern Region will earn a spot at the state tournament.