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WEB EXCLUSIVE: Win, Lose or Draw: Eagles, Lady Eagles at 1-1-1 early in district play
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
The Allen girls soccer team (9-4-2) fell into a hole at the start of District 8-5A play last season and feverishly attempted to make up ground in an eventually unsuccessful attempt to make the playoffs.
The 2013 Lady Eagles have learned from those mistakes.
Instead of climbing up the standings, Allen is firmly entrenched in the middle with a 1-1-1 mark that has it tied for third place with McKinney Boyd. The Lady Eagles and Lady Broncos played to a 2-2 draw Tuesday night.
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The team started Feb. 12 with a 1-0 victory over Plano East.
Sophomore Morgan Cherry set the tone for Allen's offensive aggressiveness with a shot that went just over the crossbar. The home team continued to bring the heat with a header by senior Madison Ledet off the side of the goal.
"We continually beat their high defensive line," said Kevin Albury, Allen girls head coach.
Cherry came close again with a goal waved off due to her being offside, but Allen's persistence paid off in the 20th minute. Cherry pushed the ball to freshman Marissa Kinsey, whose cross went to freshman Kaylee Davis for a header goal and 1-0 lead.
That would be the final score as well.
"Corners kept coming for us," Albury said, "but we could not force it in."
On the flip side, Allen's defense held firm as well.
"We had to be aware of their counterattacks," Albury said, "and adjusted at halftime to put a fourth defender in the back."
Senior goalkeeper Nicole Limpert still had to face some East chances, but stood firm between the pipes to secure a 1-0 victory and Allen's 10th shutout of the season.
There would be another shutout Friday, only this one didn't go the Lady Eagles' way.
"West put us under pressure early and was worthy of the win," Albury said. "We have to work on elimination of mistakes and clearing the ball better under pressure."
West, which got goals from Tori Gates, Taylor Jackson, Brooke Ramsier and Ashley Smith, got on the board with 15 minutes remaining in the first half and scored again just before the break for a 2-0 lead. The Lady Wolves added two more goals in the second half, both of which were set up off free kicks, for the 4-0 victory.
"The first bounced over everyone and deflected into the goal and the second was headed into the top corner," Albury said.
After Tuesday's 2-2 tie with Boyd, Allen will face another new foe to the district as it hosts McKinney at 7:30 p.m. from Ford Middle School. The second-place Lionettes (2-1 in district) are one point ahead of the Lady Eagles.
Boys look to get back on winning track
Like the girls soccer team, the Allen boys (6-4-3 overall) are also 1-1-1 in district and will also face McKinney at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The similarities, however, end there.
The Eagles won their district opener, 2-0, over East on the strength of two goals from Kevin Walls, but have yet to pick up a win since then with a 3-3 draw against West Friday and a 3-1 loss to Boyd on Tuesday.
Seniors Brandon Davidson (2) and Dan Hansen scored the goals against the Wolves while Hansen tickled the twine once more versus the Broncos. There have been problems on defense though as the six combined goals allowed to West and district-leading Boyd are equal to the total number given up by the Eagles in their previous seven matches.
Allen will look to break that trend and move into second place when it travels to McKinney.
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