HS Boys Soccer: Highlanders Avenge February Loss By Surging in the Opening Half

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Woodlands Highlanders bested the visiting Conroe Tigers in a 5-1 rematch that avenged a loss while keeping the team on playoff pace.

In their February matchup, Conroe defeated The Woodlands by a score of 3-2 in a late-night game. While the Tigers had only a slight edge, the sting of losing stuck with them as they prepared for the rematch.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Highlander Head Coach Jason Fanning discussed how the team's loss in February prepared them for the eventual rematch in friendly territory.

“This has kind of been a year of transition for us where we’re working really hard on getting back to basics while not making too big a chance too quickly,” explained Fanning. “I think what we’re seeing now is the product of a lot of hard work that maybe wasn’t shown in a score line, but was shown with our improvement.”

Early possession to start the game gave the Highlanders an aggressive stance from the opening kick. The team’s passing saw a handful of dispossessions, but a strong opening attack push showed that the Highlanders were doing their best to snag a win.

The Woodlands’ opening push saw an open shot at goal in the third minute settle in the goal, but the forceful attack was too strong and drew an offside call from the farside referee.

Luckily for the Highlanders, another display of solid defense forced the ball away from Conroe, with multiple attackers sprinting toward the Tiger goal. A well-placed ball at the feet of Kellen Thiel pinged into the back of the net to secure a 1-0 Woodlands lead.

“We play a team like College Park and it's one to zero in the first two minutes,” said Fanning. “We’re just looking for consistency. But when we score, we’re not necessarily going to turn it down.”

Conroe’s response to their conceded goal was to ramp up their pressure on attacks.

When the Tigers successfully held possession, the attackers used their blistering speed to pace past the Highlanders trying to stop them.

The Woodlands’ last line of defense was goalkeeper Ryan Mulbrecht, who stood unphased by the incoming Conroe forwards. Multiple attempts to force the ball past him were snuffed out through steady hands and intelligent reads.

Mulbrecht’s ability to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard translated into counterattacks that feasted on the out-placed Conroe players.

Conroe was so aggressive in its attacks that all but two or three defenders were left in the back to prevent the Highlanders from reaching the goal completely uncontested. However, the reigning District Champions' savvy passing worked the ball forward enough to snag two more goals in quick succession.

Derek Whitson was the first to cash in on a counter attack, using another pinpoint accurate pass to stay in stride on his way to a cross-body goal and a 2-0 lead for the Highlanders.

Whitson’s contribution was compounded just minutes later by Emilio Balderas-Berg, who nonchalantly sent a powerful shot past the worn Conroe goalie for a 3-0 Woodlands lead in just 13 minutes.

“We were just trying to encourage them,” said Fanning on the team’s early momentum. “We had a pretty basic gameplan about doing the simple things right. And I think that because we did that, the goals showed it.”

Whether overconfidence or the eventual payoff of Conroe’s relentless pressure, a slight crack from The Woodlands turned into the first spot of optimism for the Tigers all game.

Less than clinical passing in the Highlander midfield surrendered the ball to Conroe with their forwards looking to make a run. One through-ball later, Conroe’s Jared Nava buried the team’s first goal to finally chip into the mountain of a Highlander lead.

“They are a dangerous team; it just wasn’t their night,” said Fanning, discussing Conroe. “They’re a really good team that made it a difficult game for us, regardless of what the score said.”

What followed Nava’s goal was the longest stretch of play during the first half without a goal.

The Woodlands’ approach of making the most out of counters was mostly snubbed by untimely offside calls or the Tiger defenders retreating fast enough to play preventative defense before a shot could get off.

Similarly, Conroe continued to find difficulty working the ball past the Highlander's back row. Impressive speed carried the Tigers inside the penalty box, but stern play under pressure saw The Woodlands clamp down just before the forwards could strike.

Increasingly clutch play from Mulbrecht was a needed addition to The Woodlands’ effort as the half inched toward a close. Instead, another accurate ball acted as the catalyst for a half-ending momentum swing.

A beautiful lob from the far side of the field sent Balderas-Berg on another unmatched run at the keeper. The opportunity was not wasted by the sophomore, who sent another ball to the net for his second goal of the match and a 4-1 Woodlands lead at the half.

“He’s really good,” said Fanning in praise of his sophomore contributor. “We’re just happy that he plays for us here at The Woodlands while being very coachable. He has a style of play that he prefers, but he’s willing to do what the team needs to be successful.”

Balanced play opened the second half, with both teams having early opportunities to either extend or eat into the lead.

The lack of scoring compared to the first was due to a combination of strategies put in place by both squads to cover up for their early mistakes.

Conroe’s struggles in mitigating The Woodlands’ counters were covered up by fortifying the midfield and forcing the Highlanders to work in between the hashes. The sheer amount of bodies inside meant the ball had to work past several poking Tiger feet before getting into open space.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders relied on their back line to continually wipe away would-be Conroe pushes right before a shot attempt. The Woodlands did not sit back in a park-the-bus style of defense, instead, they trusted the players at the back to keep their assignments.

Precious minutes ticked off the clock for a Conroe team in desperate need of multiple goals to even force a tie. The desperation was displayed by the team’s persistence when attacking or working the ball toward the goal.

Shots started coming from increasingly further distances either to play with Mulbrecht’s eyes in goal or catch him flat-footed. These shots missed their marks, but holes in the wall and hopeful attempts would continue to show as play continued.

Another example of Conroe’s increased effort was a noticeable shift to harass the Highlander defenders when they tried to clear.

Only a few feet separated the Highlander backs from the Tiger attackers on attempts to clear the ball out of The Woodlands’ side. This pressure forced the Highlanders to be intentional with their passes at the back, but the team seemed up to the task.

No amount of Conroe’s pressure through the first 20 minutes of the second half was enough to rattle the Highlanders into conceding another goal. Smart passes and not overextending counters enabled The Woodlands to be precisely where they needed to be.

Not helping the Tigers in their late push was the amount of time of possession maintained by The Woodlands.

Lengthy stretches of play saw the Highlanders keep control of the clock and pace of the game. Deliberate passes kept the ball from the pesky Conroe players, while a down-shift away from turning quick counters into attacks allowed the team to stay in possession.

A handful of set pieces also aided The Woodlands in closing the game without further scares. Corners and a free kick let the team burn some time during setup before forcing all of the Tigers into a concentrated area where players could mark their men to limit counters.

Conroe’s frustration at The Woodlands’ approach became so intense that a penalty with five minutes left was unsurprising to those in attendance.

The chance to thoroughly slam the door was taken by captain Nico Suarez, who sent the kick opposite the keeper’s dive for the Highlanders’ fifth goal of the night.

Some ticky-tacky play in the closing minutes constituted the last gasps of the fight before the final whistle ended the lopsided affair.

The early surge and continual execution from The Woodlands rewarded the team with a 5-1 win that serves to ready the team for the upcoming postseason.

“It wasn’t too long ago that we were a district champion, and we lost in the first round,” said Fanning. “It really doesn’t matter what the district record is or who you beat. Can you execute to the best of your ability? When it comes down to it, it will be about maintaining consistency, and I feel like we’ve gotten better at that throughout the year.”

The final test for the Highlanders before the playoffs will be the last placed Oak Ridge War Eagles in the season closer. Meanwhile, Conroe will also have a fairly easy test on paper as they take on the Cleveland Indians next Monday.

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