Cowboys fall to ESD in final home district game
April 22, 2021
After being shot on, goal after goal, in a rough first half, the third quarter was when Coppell let go of the past and stepped up its game. Coppell saw the opportunity of a new half and an overly-confident opponent and took it to play their best even if it ended up as a loss against Episcopal School of Dallas, 13-8, on Wednesday at Lesley Field.
“When the third quarter started, from that point on, it was the most important part of the game,”
Coppell senior midfielder Jacob Dashner said. “That is when they were starting to let off and that is when they thought they had the game in the bag and when they were the most confident they were going to walk out with a win and we were able to step up at the point and play a little harder.”
During the first half, defensive breakdowns allowed ESD to score three goals within a five-minute period.
“At halftime, guys were upset with each other and that is to be expected in a competitive game,” Coppell coach Matt Mueller said. “They are all buddies so they get after each other, but once the third quarter started, they flushed it, they battled and they stayed together. When we were seeing adversity we did not start yelling at each other. We were helpful, we were being positive with our teammates and that is huge for us.”
Despite any frustrations, the Cowboys played knowing this would be their last home game of the district season. With the loss, the Cowboys must wait until Saturday to find out their playoff fate.
“I started with these seniors when they were all in third or fourth grade, so for me it is hard to believe that they are seniors and on their way out,” Mueller said. “It has been a blessing watching those guys develop as lacrosse players and people the last number of years. Those guys, regardless of what happens moving forward in the playoffs, those guys have set the tone of our culture moving forward.”
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