ELSA — The McAllen Lady Bulldogs scored two early goals to ease past Harlingen High with a 4-2 victory in a Class 6A area-round playoff game Tuesday night at Benny Layton Memorial Stadium.
McAllen’s Westyn Henderson and Emily Gurwitz put the Lady Bulldogs up within seven minutes of starting the game as the Lady Cardinals’ defense couldn’t contend with McAllen’s speed up front.
“I think they had a little trouble with our speed,” said McAllen head coach Patrick Arney. “I think we totally dominated in that first 20 minutes of the first half and afterward I really think we ran out of gas really early.
“Harlingen is a tough team and they played well, but we have to play the full 80 minutes and I don’t think we did. We made a couple of big mistakes and we let them back into the game and we had a little bit of panic, but we’re a more seasoned team than that and we should have been able to handle that a little bit better.”
With just under five minutes left to play before the half, Ava Alaniz added to the Harlingen’s rough start and put the Lady Bulldogs up by three goals.
But at the half it was all about remaining focused and keeping the foot on the gas pedal for Coach Arney.
“When we went up 3-0, I think we took the foot off the gas a little” he said. “At the half we were just telling them to go harder but it it’s tough sometimes, especially against a good team like Harlingen.
“Harlingen had a great season and is definitely a great team, maybe the second best team we’ve played in the Valley this season.”
After the half, it was the Lady Cards who stepped up their attacking nature and found their first goal behind a goal by Monique Rodriguez. And it would not be the Lady Cards’ final goal.
Down 4-1, with19 minutes remaining on the clock, Kay-Lani Vasquez was dropped inside the box for a penalty kick. The sophomore saw her attempt bounce off the keepers’ legs but was able to pounce on the rebound to make it a two-goal game at 4-2.
Unfortunately for the Lady Red Birds, that was as close as they could get.
With the win, the Lady Bulldogs advance to the regional quarterfinals to play Harlingen South, which beat Laredo United in Roma on Tuesday 1-0.
Over the past two seasons both McAllen and South have split 1-0 victories.
“We’ve got history from a long time,” said Arney of South. “They have been in our way and we’ve been in their way to get to regionals and go back at least 15-20 years.
“We just have to try to play our game and play tough, smart and move the ball better, and hopefully we’ll be up in San Antonio in a week and a half.”
