By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (March 7, 2018) — Madison Wyly turned in another clean sheet minding goal Tuesday evening, the 11th for Stephenville during a 12-match win streak that hem on the precipice of their first-ever undefeated district campaign and outright district championship.
Add the entirety of regulation at Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood the first time the rivals squared off in brutally difficult District 4-4A and by the time nine minutes remained in a crisp, blustery defensive showdown at Lem Brock Field, there had been 151 minutes of scoreless soccer. The Honeybees needed a 3-2 shootout victory at Brownwood, but that would not be the case on their home pitch.
For 71 minutes, there was nothing. But in the 72nd, Ciara Johnston happened. As she always seems to.
The prolific sophomore striker moved left to right across the Brownwood back line, and was found on a pretty pass through the middle by classmate Madison Carter,w ho placed the ball so well Johnston turned outside the back defender on first touch with second touch a head-high strike that whizzed to to the right of the keeper the way Johnston was facing while staying just left of right post and and well under the cross bar. The perfect shot caught up in the top right of the netting with 8:37 to play, the only goal of the contest with both defensive units dominating the bulk of the night.
Brownwood was good defensively in its own right, slowing a Honeybee attack that produced five goals against Mineral Wells and four against consistent state power Abilene Wylie, an almost unfathomable total to put on the Lady Dogs.
But yielding just one was still one too many, a most impressive fact considering Stephenville was without its top defender in Beatris Chavarria, unavailable with a twisted ankle. So talented that even as a freshman she was tasked with constant marking of talented scorers such as Erika McIntyre from Kennedale and Randi Dennison of Wylie, Chavarria already owns all-state credentials and is perceived as a significant NCAA Division I prospect, says head coach Casey Weil.
Without her, everyone along the back had to step up. And so they did.
With speed and determination making that must have made her seem to be an omnipresent defensive force to Brownwoood attackers, Madelyn Heupel led the defensive intensity for Stephenville. Codi Hawks was a constant clearing balls out from the middle and Courtney Langely also helped form a sturdy fence in front of net minder Madison Wyly, brilliant each time she was challenged.
The sophomore net minder was best when the Brownwood attack was at its peak early in the second half. With two Brownwood forwards closing in amidst other traffic just in front of goal, Wyly used athleticism to her advantage, jumping to bat the ball away and to a teammate before any Lady Lion could knock it in. Brownwood wasn’t done building pressure, though, charging forward again only to misfire a header off a cross that came in too hot from left to right the way the Lady Lions faced. The ball floated right of goal off the attempted head shot, but was still in good position for the attacking side. But with Heupel in the way, Brownwood defender rushed her shot attempt and whiffed, falling to the pitch before the Honeybees cleared it away.
Wyly made other saves, including lunging and snaring one a couple minutes later, to stymie the efforts of a Brownwood team frustrated to possess the ball so much while failing to produce a single goal. It’s become a common trend for the Stephenville defense, which has not allowed a goal this season on home pitch.
Brownwood earned a free kick when an attacker was contacted to the grass just outside the box, but it was pushed a couple feet above the cross bar and Johnston scored going the other way moments later. One final Lady Lion push appeared it would have an attacker turning the corner and facing off with Wyly, but the hard-charging Heupel forced her to fan out, her shooting angle worsening by the stride until no real chance remained.
“Heupel is so fast, and she looks even faster than she is because she’s so smart and takes grea angles,” said Weil. “I thought everyone back there did a great job of stepping up and finding a way to get it done without (Chavarria). (Wyly) was greag in goal, not just getting to balls, but understanding the best way to play the ball each time. We kept the pressure off her where we could and she handled it well when it go through.”
With two-thirds of district competition complete, Stephenville is a full two matches clear and has guaranteed itself a head-to-head advantage over each opponent in the league, which had all its members alive in the third round in 2017, comprising half the eight regional quarterfinalists.
“You can’t be competitive in this district and not be ready for the playoffs,” said Stephenville head coach Casey Weil. “People who ask me who are the best teams in the state this year and I tell them, three of them are the ones we’re playing right now and we get them all three times each.”
It’s been especially tough in district with Brownwood, the only 4-4A side to draw the Honeybees for 80 minutes and the only one to stick within one goal of the reigning state champs through 160 minutes of fierce play.
“I don’t know what it is about Brownwood. I mean, they’re very good and (the coach) does a great job getting them ready, but we just seem to have had something both times we’ve played them that has kept us from really playing the way I know we’re capable of,” said Weil. “When we’re rolling, I mean when Beatris out here and we are all focused and going hard, I think we’re the best team in our conference.”
Like last year, when they won state.
“There is still a lot of soccer left. Right now I’m just glad we got through that one, because Brownwood was tough. We have some work left to do try and win our district and then we’ll just take each playoff game one round at a time and hopefully keep rolling.”
Chavarria is expected back soon, Weil reported. The right set of circumstances could result in an outright title being won on Friday when Mineral Wells comes to Stephenville. That’s followed by a week off for spring break, a trip to Wylie where the Bees could win it outright on March 20 and another home confrontation with Brownwood on March 23. Each match begins at 5 p.m.
The first half consisted largely of Brownwood possessions and Stehenville counterattacks. The Bees had the best opportunities late in the half, but Johnston fanned out too wide and didn’t have much of an angle on a shot that was saved in the 31st minute. She got loose but was called offside in the 35th.
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