With the district season winding down, both Aledo soccer teams continue to hold onto playoff spots following their latest wins over the visiting Rough Riders from Saginaw on Friday, Feb. 24.
The Bearcats took care of business in the early match as they pulled off a 3-2 win. Their 4-3-1 record in District 5-5A action (10-4-5 overall) has Aledo currently sitting in third place in the standings with three district matchups remaining on the schedule.
In the nightcap, the Ladycats lost their leading scorer, Sydney Mcguire, early due to a knee injury. They battled valiantly in honor of their fallen teammate as they secured their second shutout in a row, winning 2-0. Aledo sits squarely in second place in the District 5-5A rankings, boasting a 7-2 district record (13-5-2 overall).
“We’ve got to win out,” Ladycats head coach Bryan Johnson emphasized. “That’s the goal. These girls overcame a lot tonight. With going down less than five minutes into the game, that affects every one of them, because they all want her out there.”
The Ladycats got off to a fast start in their matchup as they sailed across the pitch. Georgia Zirbser took a shot from the far side of the field that found the back of the net less than a minute into the contest. However, the referee ruled Aledo was offsides, negating the early score.
Two minutes later Mcguire raced down the home side of the field attempting to get by a Lady Rough Rider defender. As the pair neared the endline, Mcguire passed the ball back towards the middle of the field in hopes a fellow Ladycat would get a shot on the goal. She went to the turf writhing in agony, clutching her knee, and unable to return to her feet under her own power. She did not return.
With Zirbser’s goal negated and Mcguire out with an injury, the remainder of the first half stayed quiet as the two teams jockeyed for control near midfield with neither able to garner a discernible advantage. At halftime the score stood 0-0.
Coming out for the second half with the temperatures wretchedly cold, both teams struggled to find their legs early. As play went on with players starting to get loose, the Ladycats took the advantage in the match. Emaree Gibson, Aledo’s scrappy midfielder, broke open the goose egg on the scoreboard in the 27th minute of the second half with the first goal of the game.
Presley Clayborn was credited with the assist on the play.
In the 17th minute of the second half Aledo struck again. Zirbser brought the pressure from the near wing. Drawing the defense in, she made a pass to Harper Smith who capitalized on the opportunity with a well-placed shot on goal to put Aledo up 2-0.
“That was just a perfect counterattack. We couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” said Johnson.
Aledo’s defense throughout the game was impeccable. The Ladycats kept Saginaw away from the goal for most of the contest. Goalkeeper Jamie Smith was a perfect 1-for-1 in save opportunities (47 on the year) as she picked up her fourth shutout of the season.
The Bearcats took the lead in the first half of their match against Saginaw before entering halftime with a 2-0 advantage. As the sun set on Bearcat stadium, so did Aledo’s early lead in the second half. The Rough Riders battled back to tie the match up at 2-2 with 10:39 left in the contest.
Determined not to end up in another shootout, the Bearcats pressured Saginaw’s defense. With 8:59 remaining in the game, Austin Randriamahefa found the back of the net for what would end up being the game-winning goal.
“We battled back after they came back from 2-0, so it was good,” stated Bearcat head coach Derek Vierling. “We got the win. That was a good win for us. We’ve got Granbury and Azle. We’ve got to eliminate them, and we’ll be in the playoffs. It’s getting close with three games left.”
With just three district games remaining on the schedule, Aledo will hit the road on Friday, March 3 to take on Brewer. The Bearcats will go to work hoping to avenge a 4-1 loss to the district-leading Bears in their previous matchup on Valentine’s Day. That game will start at 5 p.m.
The Ladycats, meanwhile, will close out the night looking to repeat their 6-0 mauling of the Lady Bears on Feb. 14. Kickoff is slated for 7:15.
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