Lady Lion soccer playoff run ends in Bryan

The Area Champion Lady Lions closed one of the most successful soccer seasons in LHS history on Friday, March 27 with a 6-0 loss to the powerful Richmond Foster Lady Falcons. Despite a tremendous effort on the part of the Lady Lions, the Lady Falcons overpowered them 6-0.

“I am very proud of all players and their effort. I could not have asked for a harder working g

roup of players” Coach Tim Bayliss said. “It has been an excellent season. One of the goals we set at the beginning of the year was to win a playoff game, and we did that.”

As the season drew to a close, several Lady Lions were recognized for their efforts by the coaches in District 48-AAAA.

Junior Yiovana Gonzalez headlined awards for the Lady Lions, being named Defensive Player of the Year. Bayliss said Gonzalez’s play in the defensive position at center midfield was a key factor in the Lady Lions’ stingy defense, which conceded only eight goals on the season, while never allowing a district opponent more than two goals in a game.

Several Lady Lions earned First Team All-District honors. Among them were Gonzalez, senior midfielder and team captain Meredith Moore, who had two goals and two assists on the season, and junior goalkeeper and team captain Kelsie Briscoe. Briscoe recorded three district shutouts and allowed only eight goals in ten district matches.

Second Team All-District honors went to senior defender and team captain Heather Schulle, senior defender Karoline Pfefferkorn and freshman midfielder Cindy Partida. Partida netted eight goals during district play, leading the team.

Collecting Honorable Mention All-District honors were senior forward Sylvia Stover, junior forward Adela Nino, who scored five goals on the season, and freshman defender Erica Islas.

The Lady Lions ended the season in third place in District 48-AAAA, earning their second playoff bid in three years and allowing the team the opportunity to advance and become Area Champions. Their overall season record was 11-9-2, with a district record of 5-3-2.

(Courtesy of Tim Bayliss)