Lady Highlanders roll in district opener

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Woodlands Lady Highlanders varsity soccer team introduced themselves into district play with a 6-0 win against Conroe, proving their speed and strength harbored in both defensive and offensive areas.

Lady Highlander Grace Piper scored in the 5^th-minute, running onto a ball played by Jazzy Richards that split the Conroe defenders, and chipping the Conroe goalkeeper, giving the Highlanders a 1-0 lead early on.

“I thought it was a very good team effort, for sure,” Woodlands coach Dina Graves said of her team’s performance. “I hope we continue to do the things we need to do to be successful, and keep working on the things we need to work on.”

The first Conroe attack came in the 18^th-minute in response to a Lady Highlander foul, but the shot went just wide of the goalpost, allowing Woodlands goalkeeper Monica Dallacasa an easy goal kick to help her team regain possession in the middle third.

The second goal for the Lady Highlanders came in the 20^th-minute, with yet another successful shot from Grace Piper from the middle of the final third. Piper continued to play a strong and smart game, and scored her third goal just five minutes after the second in the 25^th -minute, bringing the first three goals of the game for the Woodlands via a hat trick from Piper. Kelly Barbalias assisted Piper in her third goal, playing a ball down the middle of the field from the left side, allowing Piper to pick up the run and gain possession.

The Lady Highlanders finished up the first half with a goal from Jazzy Richards in the 30^th -minute, in which Richards crossed the ball from the right side of the final third perfectly into the back of the net, taking the Woodlands into half time four goals ahead of Conroe and with a healthy morale.

The second half was opened up with yet another foul by Conroe in the first minute, but despite their efforts, Conroe could not stop the Highlanders from attacking their opponents’ goal and maintaining possession. Mollie Bond of TWHS finished an assist from Carolyn Taylor in the first 10 minutes of the second half on the backside of the goal, bringing the score to 5-0, with the Highlanders dominating Conroe. Taylor returned in the 35^th-minute of the half with a goal, bringing the final score of the game 6-0, with TWHS prevailing over Conroe in their first district game.

The Lady Highlanders will continue their district season with a game on Friday, January 30 against Atascocita at Atascocita.