For the Aledo Ladycats soccer club, the 2024 campaign has been about one thing so far this season: Experience.
Regardless of wins, losses, or ties, with a roster full of young players still getting used to playing at the varsity level, getting as much time on the pitch as possible is invaluable with district play slated to start in a week’s time.
Ladycats head coach Bryan Johnson is still working with the ingredients, looking to find a winning recipe. The Moritz Kia Tournament over this past weekend was the perfect opportunity for Johnson and his team to mix up the lineup and gain a significant amount of experience at the same time.
“We’re actually really young,” Johnson said of his club. “We don’t have any goal scorers. They’re all gone, so we’re generating goals however we can. We’ve had eight different goal scorers. We’re not scoring a lot of goals, but we play well together as a team.
“It’s early days. We’re still learning. We’re still growing. I’m still looking for that mix. The girls performed. That’s what I’m most proud of,” he added.
Aledo (2-4-1) started off the tournament on Thursday, Jan. 11, by taking on a stalwart Lake Travis squad coached by former Bearcat Will Maloney. In his first year at the helm in 2023, Maloney led the Lady Cavaliers to a second-place finish in District 4-6A.
Looking to make a statement in his return to Aledo, Maloney’s Lady Cavaliers got on the board first, just 10 minutes into play. Ladycat goalkeeper Ava Fennell gave a valiant, leaping effort on a shot over her head that ricocheted off her gloves before finding the net to put Lake Travis up 1-0 early in the first half.
Not to be outdone, Emery Thompson netted a goal as she fired a long-range shot from 32 yards out, beating the Lake Travis keeper to find the upper-right corner of the goal. Thompson’s goal tied the match, 1-1, with just under 10 minutes remaining until the break.
Despite significant pressure by Lake Travis, Fennell successfully defended her goal with a number of diving stops. Unfortunately, her streak came to an end with 40 seconds left in the half as Lake Travis secured a second goal to make it a 2-1 affair, which would be the final score.
The second half was a tale of competitive spirit for the Ladycats, as Lake Travis used their depth to keep fresh bodies on the pitch for the final 35 minutes. Aledo never wavered, as they continued to find a way to hang with a rested Lady Cavaliers squad. Fennell saved a half dozen shots on goal throughout the contest, including a clean sheet in the second half.
In the second round, Aledo faced off against the Midlothian Lady Panthers on Friday, Jan. 12. The Lady Panthers ended the Ladycats’ 2023 playoff run during their area matchup last March. Seeking a measure of revenge after being shut out by Midlothian in that match, Aledo managed to score this time, but still lost the contest 8-1.
In the final match of the tourney on Saturday, Jan. 13, the Ladycats nearly got one over on Mansfield Legacy. Senior Georgia Zirbser connected with promising freshman Allyson Weimer as Weimer found the net to put the Ladycats up 1-0.
Aledo held onto the narrow lead throughout the first half, but Legacy found a way to spoil it as Abigail McCaslin snuck a shot by Fennell off a corner kick after the Ladycat keeper had fought off the initial attempt on goal.
McCaslin’s goal produced the final as the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
Next up, the Ladycats will play host to Argyle on Friday, Jan. 19 with the match slated to get underway at 5:30 p.m.
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