Marble Falls girls soccer shuts out Austin Achieve for another district win

CAPTION: Dulce Macias and the Lady Mustangs use the week leading up to traveling to face Austin Achieve to prepare for a stadium that’s unlike most venues. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School girls soccer team crushed Austin Achieve 6-0 Feb. 2 in District 25-4A play.

The Lady Mustangs (3-0) led 1-0 at the half thanks to Dulce Macias, who scored on a penalty kick.

“Achieve put up a really good fight,” Marble Falls head coach Abigail Blunt said. “The goal keeper was making really good saves. Their midfield collapsed on us and overwhelmed us, numbers wise. At the half I told them to find the ball and find the spacing. Get wide and find the give-and-gos.”

The Lady Mustangs did that and were able to pile on goals, so many that the Polar Bears couldn’t keep up.

They especially had a hard time staying with Presley Kahl, who score four goals, but only one was assisted courtesy of Cali Brydon.

“Our team was creating little passes,” Blunt said. “(Kahl) was dribbling around one or two people and took the shotS. She can create, she can score with both her left or right foot. The fact she was able to use both feet and finish was amazing.”

Ashley Ferreira scored the final goal that was unassisted.

The coach commended her players for their focus and their ability to stick to the game plan, even when Achieve kept the first half close.

“Kids can get overwhelmed by a play or a moment,” she said. “In football, volleyball or basketball, you can caLl a timeout. In soccer you can’t. You have to wait until halftime. A soccer player has to think, has to move. In volleyball (as a coach) I can call a timeout and fix it in the moment. But in soccer that player has to continue going. They’re calm and composed, and they know it’s a back-and-forth game.”

It may have taken a half for the Lady Mustangs to score multiple goals, but the defense added another shutout to their season. The Lady Mustangs have yet to allow a goal in district play.

“I think it’s a team goal,” Blunt said. “It’s 100 percent a team goal to keep a clean stat sheet and keeping a zero on the scoreboard. The more you eliminate the other team’s shots, the better and the more you take away their confidence. It’s going to continue to frustrate them.”

The coach complimented the defensive back line and goalie Mia Trejo for not dropping their intensity the entire match.

“Our defensive line fought to keep a clean sheet,” she said. “I think they really take it to heart. Our goal keeper is going to make some saves.”

Blunt noted the Lady Mustangs learned plenty from a year ago they applied to this match regarding Achieve’s facilities. Most stadiums have lines for football and soccer games drawn on their artificial turf, which isn’t different at Achieve’s Arctic Tundra. But instead of having green turf, the Arctic Tundra has purple and gray turf and the soccer field seems narrower than at other stadiums. In addition, it also plays faster, she said.

“The soccer pitch is almost a football pitch,” she said. “It runs the ball quicker. The ball is extremely bouncy.”

So Marble Falls, which had a bye Jan. 30, spent the week preparing for a smaller soccer playing area, and it showed during the match.

“Last year when Achieve came to us, we beat them 10-0,” Blunt said. “When we went there, we won on penalty kicks. So this week, we narrowed our field. (My players) went mentally ready. You can’t let the environment change your style of play.”

Marble Falls hosts Florence at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in a doubleheader with the boys. The boys junior varsity takes the field at 5:30 p.m. and the boys varsity plays at 7 p.m.

It is Youth Night meaning a child that wears any sort of a game jersey gets free admission.

Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.