By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
After the first weekend of the 2025 season, the Stanhope Elmore High School Lady Mustangs’ soccer team has already matched their win total from the previous season. Competing in the Classic Division of the Capital of Dreams High School Classic in Montgomery, the Lady Mustangs won three games in three days with wins over Tallassee (2-1), Brewbaker Tech (1-0), and West Point (2-1).
The Lady Mustangs are coached by Eric Peterson who is in his first year leading the team.
“The main reason for the girls’ success was their dedication and the hard work they put in before the first whistle. Their commitment to personal growth, teamwork, and executing our game plan all played a crucial role in their performance,” said Coach Peterson.
The Lady Mustangs opened the season with a 2-1 win over Tallassee behind 2nd half goals from Ja’Niyah Cousins and Emily Peterson.
In game 2, Stanhope Elmore and Brewbaker Tech were scoreless late in the game when Kaydence Wineburg scored off an assist from Cousins.
The final game against West Point High School was played early Saturday morning. With the game tied at 1, Cousins scored in the last few seconds of the game to give the Lady Mustangs a big win. The Lady Mustangs won the game late despite several players dealing with injuries.
“The girls showed impressive resilience throughout the weekend,” said Peterson. “Time and time again, they stepped into unfamiliar positions with confidence and determination. Even when momentum shifted against them, they never wavered. They fought back, stayed composed, and ultimately prevailed.”
For the tournament, Cousins had three goals and an assist. Wineburg and Peterson both had one goal. The Lady Mustangs only allowed two goals in three games, totaling 210 minutes of game action.
Stanhope Elmore will have two mid-week games against Montgomery Academy and Calera before playing their first ever game in the new stadium at 17 Springs on Tuesday February 18, and their first area game of the season on February 20 against Percy Julian.
“Our goals are to develop disciplined, confident, and resilient leaders on and off the field who exemplify the team’s core values of respect, excellence, and teamwork,” said Coach Peterson. “We want to instill a winning culture committed to personal and team growth that embraces challenges. And we want to finish the season with a winning record and win our area.”
