By Scott Nickerson
SPORTS – Elmore/Autauga News
The Stanhope Elmore High School Lady Mustangs soccer team won four games in two days during the Capital of Dreams soccer tournament held in Montgomery. The Girls’ Varsity had four different divisions. The Mustangs competed in the Classic Division which featured SEHS, West Point High School, Booker T. Washington, and Park Crossing. The tournament took place at the Emory Folmar Soccer Complex near the AUM campus.
The Lady Mustangs’ first game was Friday afternoon against West Point. Striker Ja’Niyah Cousins scored an early goal for SEHS five minutes into the game. The remaining 85+ minutes were scoreless, featuring strong defense from the Lady Mustangs’ back line.
After winning the first contest 1-0, SEHS took on Park Crossing in their second game on Friday night. The Thunderbirds were vastly overmatched, rarely getting the ball past mid-field. While the SEHS defense impressed in the first game, the offense shined in the nightcap.
Cousins scored along with Azul Contreras, and Emily Peterson (both 8th graders). Also getting in on the scoring were Ashley Brantley, Averie Jones, Savannah Scott and Shelby West.
The Mustangs won 10-0 and got through Day 1 without giving up a goal with a +11 goal differential.
SEHS played Booker T. Washington in both games on Saturday. The Lady Mustangs faced their first deficit of the tournament after BTW scored an early goal. SEHS evened the score at 1 shortly before the half. BTW clearly tired in the 2nd half, and the Lady Mustangs used superior conditioning to continue pressing and finally broke through, scoring three goals to take a 4-1 win.
Since BTW won both of their games on Friday, the two teams faced off again in the final of the Classic Division. Once again, BTW scored in the first half to take an early lead, but just like in the first game, the Mustangs evened it up before the half.
The 2nd half was all Mustangs as they attacked and shot on the goal time and time again. The Mustangs managed a goal early in the 2nd half and had close to a dozen opportunities the remaining part of the game but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net again. But like the first game, BTW noticeably tired and did not put up a serious scoring threat the last 30 minutes of the game. SEHS closed out the game with a 2-1 victory.
The Lady Mustangs took home the trophy for the Classic Division, and each player was given a medal with the tournament logo.
The Lady Mustangs’ record improves to 4-1. They travel to Marbury for a game Tuesday, February 15. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Smiths Station on Thursday, February 24, and return home Friday, February 25 and play Helena.
