Midland High School Girls Soccer: Schedules	Logged in as:  |  edit profile |  message center

For the sixth time in the last nine years, the Lady Dawgs' season has ended against a Metroplex team in the Region I semi-finals, played for the first time this year at Grande Stadium. This year's nemesis was McKinney Boyd, which scored three goals in the second half to beat Midland High, 4-2.

Boyd won the state championship in Class 4A a year ago before moving up to 5A for 2009. The Lady Dawgs gave them all they wanted in a first half that ended in a 1-1 tie. Midland, playing with the wind, missed a couple of open scoring opportunities early that could have established momentum for a different outcome.

Boyd got on the board first with a goal in the 27th minute. The Lady Dawgs let an attacker turn the corner along the end line and slide a pass across the goal face that was driven through the back door. It looked like the first half would end that way, but Midland was fouled near midfield with 45 seconds to play. Tesla De La Pena struck a direct free kick from about 50 yards out that the goalkeeper tried to punch at the crossbar. The ball landed in front of the net and Lauren Collyer pressured defenders to clear it out past the right post. With the keeper diving for the loose ball, midfielder Brooke Hankinson slid a shot past her just outside the post to tie the match at one.

The second half was a wild one. McKinney missed a penalty kick in the 54th minute, bouncing it off the right post. Unfortunately, they scored just a minute later to go up 2-1. They added an insurance goal they would need in the 65th minute.

The Lady Dawgs continued to scrap and drew a foul in the penalty box in the 76th minute when Shelby Morrow was flattened by a McKinney defender. Collyer stepped up and drilled the PK low-right to close the gap to 3-2. With Midland having to move defenders up to try to score, McKinney scored on a counter attack with just 36 seconds remaining for the final margin.

The Lady Dawgs end their season as they have so many others, this time with a record of 18-6-2. While everyone waits for another shot next year, take some pride in the fact that Midland High has been the most accomplished girls soccer program west of the central Metroplex for the past decade. That's a huge slice of Texas, Dawgs!

Watch the website over the next few days for some action photos from the 2009 season.