Girls soccer loses post-season heartbreaker
Unable to continue their postseason success, Boulder City High School girls soccer bowed out in the second round of the postseason on Oct. 31 with a 2-1 defeat to Equipo Academy.
“When my team walked off that field, I told them that I have never been more proud of them,” head coach Kristin Shelton said. “They battled until the very last second. Every player that stepped onto the field gave their all and in the end, that’s all I could ever ask for.”
Despite the loss, the Eagles gave the Yeti, who clinched a state tournament berth over the weekend, everything they could handle.
A dominant team who entered the postseason as the top seed after a 10-1-1 league record, coach Shelton said her team should hold their heads up high after a valiant effort.
“Equipo definitely had the upper hand coming into the season, as many of them play club soccer together,” Shelton said. “As a team, they read each other very well. They are definitely beatable and as a coach, it’s part of my job to find the kink in their armor. Although we found it and were able to read their weaknesses, we were just unable to finish on top.”
Pulling out all the stops defensively, the Eagles collectively made 77 steals against the Yeti, constantly pressuring a team who outscored their opponents 59-10 in 3A play.
A threat on both sides of the ball, Leo Williams scored the lone goal for the Eagles while making a team-high 16 steals on defense.
Hannah Stark made 12 steals and Malley Jobin recorded 10, Sancha Jenas-Keogh made nine steals, while Lila Stankovic had eight and Shasta Ryan-Willett and Sylvie Jensen each made seven.
“I think we had one of the strongest defenses in the league this season,” Shelton said. “The plan for this game was definitely a combination of defensive pressure, as well as utilizing our ability to move the ball from the back through the midfield up to the attack. We knew we had to play the ball quickly and accurately to dominate the game, which I think the team did a very good job with.”
In the net despite the loss, goalie Reese Pusko made six saves.
The Eagles concluded their season with a 7-6-4 record.
