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Counter Punch: Flower Mound attack moves Lady Jags past West, close to district crown
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
The back line is usually the strongest part of the Plano West girls soccer team.
But with Lady Wolves junior Midori Rinkliff banged up and junior Taylor Jackson coming back from illness, Flower Mound (10-1-2 in district) was able to use its counter attack to perfection Friday night as the Lady Jaguars got goals from Gabi D'Alesandro and Laurel Desilvey to capture a 2-0 victory and break a tie with West (9-2-2) for the District 8-5A lead.
"There was a lot on the line and both teams played like it," said Carley Phillips, West head coach. "The girls are disappointed right now because they knew what their job was going in and we had a bit of a letdown."
The Lady Jags copy and pasted that strategy to double up their advantage in the 50th minute.
"It was kind of the same situation as the first goal," Phillips said. "Our defender made a misstep and they ended up with another 1 v. 1 with our keeper and scored."
Flower Mound was able to stretch West in the second half by coming out in a 4-4-2 formation Phillips said she hadn't seen the team play during the first matchup, a 1-1 draw, or on film.
"Flower Mound was really well organized," she added. "They countered and transitioned very well against us, played solid defense and just had an all-around solid game plan tonight."
That being said, West still had opportunities.
Specifically in the 52nd minute when junior Brooke Ramsier clanged a shot off the post, keeping the 2-0 Flower Mound lead intact.
"Both teams had their chances," Phillips said. "Our girls kept attacking and I feel like we kept fighting until the final minute."
But when that final minute ticked off, it was Flower Mound that had taken sole possession of first place and dropped West to third. Friday represented the first time the Lady Wolves haven't had at least a share of the 8-5A lead this season.
"We had to watch them celebrate," Phillips said, "and that's always tough."
But the Lady Jaguars haven't clinched a district title just yet.
The top three are tightly packed with Flower Mound at 22 points, Flower Mound Marcus at 21 and West at 20. The Lady Jags, who hold the tiebreaker on West, close the season at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday on the road against Allen. The Lady Marauders, who hold the tiebreaker on the Lady Jags, host Hebron at the same time with West hosting Plano Senior at Kimbrough Stadium.
"We can still move up in the standings and Tuesday is our Senior Night," Phillips said, "so we're trying to stay positive and at the same time build some momentum for the playoffs."
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