By Kyle Lehnick
A pair of goals was the difference Friday as the Hays Lady Rebels defeated the crosstown rival Lehman Lady Lobos 2-0 Friday night at Lobo Field.
But the intensity and focus both teams displayed helped keep the final score of the game in limbo.
According to Hays head coach Brent Holcomb, both teams “show up” in ways they don’t “in any other game all year long.”
“They know each other, they’re friends with each other and play club soccer with each other,” Holcomb said. “There’s a lot of respect, there’s a lot of familiarity, so it’s special.”
Each team had ample scoring opportunities during the course of the match. Hays controlled possession in the first half and had a few more shots on goal.
One chance came when a Rebel forward took a shot at the upper corner from 45 feet off of a give-and-go pass. The shot was saved by Lehman junior goalkeeper Maya Erwin.
Lehman had two rapid-fire shots on goal deflect off the Hays goalkeeper and then a Rebel defender.
Hays found the net off of a corner kick before the half closed to take a 1-0 lead.
Holcomb said the Lady Rebels played a “level-headed” game in the first half, and that they were able to keep possession.
But he said the Lady Lobos changed their scheme in the second half.
“They came out and pressed us high,” Holcomb said. “(Lehman) really wanted it and had a lot of great chances, I really felt like the halves were evenly split, they played us as hard as we played them.”
The Lobos had an open-net opportunity slip through their fingers when the Hays goalkeeper pushed too far up field.
A Lady Rebel defender was the only barrier between the attacking Lobo and the net.
“We didn’t match them in the second half when they came at us, we didn’t pick it up. We got lucky four or five times, I told my girls, I guess you’ve been saying your prayers,” said Holcomb.
Hays found the net one more time to secure a 2-0 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the match.
The Lobos travel to play at Lake Travis on Friday, then play Akins at Burger Stadium on Feb. 1.
Hays travels to play at Bowie Friday at Burger Stadium. They host Lake Travis at Shelton Stadium on Feb. 1.
