Cowgirls overcome fitful gameplay to dominate Marauders
February 27, 2021
The Coppell girls soccer team rounded off an eventful week of four matches with a 2-1 win against Marcus at Buddy Echols Field last night. The Cowgirls remain undefeated with a 5-0 record at home.
Though Marcus did score first off of a penalty kick, Coppell was able to take the lead late in the second half with a shot by Coppell junior forward Reneta Vargas that was assisted by Coppell senior forward Jojo Alonzo.
“Both teams were affected in the same way,” Coppell senior midfielder Ellie Stewart said. “[The inconsistent gameplay] riled us up, especially because they scored off of a penalty kick, which is kind of cheap. I was really proud of how our team responded, because [the Marauders] did score first. That’s a shift in momentum for anybody, so I was really proud of how we took the lead in the second half.”
For Stewart personally, an injury during last night’s match helped remind her that her role on the team can change and it is crucial to take on that challenge.
“My ankle got hurt in the first half, so just it was just realizing that ‘okay, cheering my team on from the bench is going to be my role in the next half’,” Stewart said. “Learning to do that and play whatever part is necessary is important.”
That’s a shift in momentum for anybody, so I was really proud of how we took the lead in the second half.
— Ellie Stewart
In addition to a hectic schedule, the Cowgirls are adjusting to new coach Rebeca Sawers. According to Stewart, Sawers puts a greater emphasis on team bonding and watching film in preparation for matches.
Specifically, Sawers organized secret sister activities between the Cowgirls, in which everyone fills out Google Forms with their snack and candy preferences, and the athletes are assigned someone each week. This week, they wrote their ‘secret sister’ an encouraging note on Tuesday and brought each other their favorite candy last night.
The Cowgirls play Plano on Monday night at 6 p.m. at Buddy Echols Field.
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