HS Girls Soccer: Lady Highlanders Sweep The War of the Woods by Blanking College Park

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The 2nd edition of the War of the Woods saw The Woodlands Lady Highlanders keep a clean sheet versus the College Park Lady Cavaliers in a 4-0 shutout.

College Park was the only team to score a goal against the rock-solid Lady Highlanders in their February matchup, but they still fell short by a score of 2-1.

The Woodlands has remained perfect through district play to this point, with a scoring margin of +46 before the War of the Woods rematch on Tuesday night. The Woodlands’ experience had to come to the forefront one more time if they hoped to keep the unbeaten streak alive.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Lady Highlander Head Coach Katherine Eiteljorge discussed the team’s run and how they planned to keep another clean sheet.

“We have some very key seniors that have gone through the playoffs, and I think their wisdom of the game is just so impactful,” said Eiteljorge. “Their maturity is really showing. Our captains have such a strong desire to make a difference in their senior year.”

A low haze and strong winds hung over the fields at College Park, with a bitter rivalry taking center stage inside the darkened environment.

Both teams took the opening five minutes to feel one another out for weaknesses in formation of personnel. This poking and prodding saw the ball traded back-and-forth around midfield, with no meaningful attacks threatening the defenses.

The Woodlands began the first major push in the seventh minute by passing and weaving through the Lady Cavalier backs.

A few shots at goal peppered the College Park keeper, who did a solid job in either corralling or getting a piece of the incoming shots. However, the early Lady Highlander onslaught was aided by a few set pieces that brought multiple threats into the crowded box.

Enough pressure mounted due to The Woodlands’ attack that a hole opened up for Renata Laracilla to put the ball into the back of the goal for an opening Lady Highlander goal in the ninth minute.

“Last time we played CP, they scored on us first,” said Eiteljorge. “So we knew they were going to be ready to go. They are going to press high. We play three back, they had three up front, and we matched up. But we didn’t want to change our game. We wanted to go out with our formation, our confidence, and play our game.”

The relentless Lady Highlander attack forced College Park’s defense to drop back to mitigate the threat of fast Woodlands forwards simply running past them toward goal.

An unintended consequence of College Park’s strategy was too many bodies inside, causing collisions that led to fouls and more set pieces for the clinical Lady Highlanders.

A Lady Cavalier foul just outside the penalty box set up The Woodlands with a free kick that pinged around on the turf before finding the foot of Reagan Mermis. The sophomore took a confident swing and buried another goal to put her team up 2-0 with over 20 minutes left in the half.

The second Lady Highlander goal sent the Lady Cavs into a noticeable up-tick in their tempo.

College Park’s passes were laced and reached their intended targets quicker and with more velocity. When the Lady Cavs could handle the incoming pass, the team pressed to its deepest reach yet.

Intent when jockeying and heightened communication were enough to keep the back-line of Lady Highlander defenders from cracking against attacks. Clearances by the defenders or by keeper Patty Staton ended multiple College Park attacks without the threat of a shot.

However, a handful of College Park’s attacks did move into the penalty box with decent potential to score. But, they were turned away each time by timely defending that clamped down at just the right moment.

The Woodlands’ end-to-end control was strong enough to keep the 2-0 lead intact until the end of the first half. Without a concerted response from the Lady Cavs, the potential for a blowout win was strong.

College Park’s desperation manifested to start the second half through the team’s aggressive stance with possession.

Quick passes and some cuts away from the ball set up the Lady Cavs with early pressure, forcing The Woodlands to sit back in their formation. Eight Woodlands defenders loaded the box whenever College Park mounted any push that threatened the goal.

The Lady Highlanders took some of their defensive stops to mount counterattacks with the potential to extend the lead further.

The lagging Lady Cavalier defenders had to chase down the rapid forwards from behind, leading to fouls and stoppages that kept the clock running while supplying the Lady Highlanders with more set pieces.

Another free kick from the edge of the box set up a touch pass for Laracilla to ping into the back of the net for her second goal of the night.

“We have a few [players] that will make the quick decisions, and we’ll send floaters over the top where we’ll have about three or four girls that can go up and take that set piece with confidence,” said Eiteljorge. “It’s really nice to not have the pressure on one player that when they’re feeling it, they take it.”

Chippy play late into the second half played into the tension of the bitter rivalry, but the players maintained level heads as the seconds ticked by.

Desperate attacks from College Park continued with late surges to keep the comeback hopes alive, but their efforts continued to come away empty. Even a substitute in goal to freshman Caelyn Moore saw no drop in defensive play for the Lady Highlanders.

“We almost got our whole bench on the field tonight, and the energy was great,” said Eiteljorge. “We’re going to graduate about 90 percent of our program, so we have to make sure that these young ones are getting that play time and experience so that next year, they will be the starters getting quality minutes.”

Whatever hopes for a Lady Cav comeback were thoroughly snuffed out by a long-distance goal from Guiomar Perona that soared over 20 yards before finding the back of the goal.

College Park tried in the closing moments to erase The Woodlands’ clean sheet, and their chance came via a penalty in the final three minutes. The Lady Cavs squared up for the penalty, but it dribbled wide left, ending the last gasp for College Park.

One final whistle ended the lopsided affair, ending the game with a 4-0 shutout in The Woodlands’ favor. This keeps the team unbeaten and increases their goal margin through district play to a staggering +50.

“I don’t have a top scorer. The girls aren’t afraid to shoot, they aren’t afraid to score, and they’re assisting all over the place,” emphasized Eiteljorge. “I think that we’re really dangerous because if our opponents try to shut down and prioritize one player, it’s fine. We have speed down the other side.”

The Woodlands’ quest for an unbeaten run through 13-6A will continue with their Friday night matchup against the visiting New Caney Lady Eagles. Meanwhile, College Park will lick its wounds ahead of their hopeful rebound against Cleveland.

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