Stone hat trick downs Plano West as Cowboys seek momentum
Coppell senior defender Bryson Chen plays in Tuesday’s soccer match against Plano West. The Cowboys beat the Wolves, 3-1. Photo courtesy Macy Jarrell
February 23, 2022
On Tuesday, the Coppell boys socer team defeated Plano West, 3-1, at Buddy Echols Field behind the leg of senior midfielder Walker Stone.
The victory comes after the Cowboys tied the Wolves, 1-1, on Jan. 28.
“We felt like we were the better team in that tie, we had the lead most of the game,” Coppell soccer coach James Balcom said.“It was very frustrating to have a win taken away late. We knew if we came out here and outworked them, we would have a great chance to beat them. The boys showed up tonight.”
Seven minutes into the match, a Plano West score appeared to give the Wolves an early lead, only to be disallowed for offsides. Moments later, a save at the edge of the penalty box was made by Coppell senior goalkeeper Arath Valdez.
Then the match fell into place for the Cowboys, as Stone sent his first goal straight into the net.
The ball remained in Coppell’s possession for the majority of the match, minimizing Plano West’s offensive threat. The Wolves only goal was a result of a penalty awarded by the referee for an unfair challenge.
Yet again, Stone sends the ball to the back of the net, this time on a free kick.
The last goal of the night was initiated by a throw-in from junior midfielder Preston Taylor that was chipped by junior forward Ryder Brock, and kicked into the goal by Stone.
“That’s my first hat trick in a long long time,” Stone said. “I’m very happy and excited with the three points, that’s something we’ve been needing and hopefully it’ll propel our season. If we keep playing like we played tonight, we’ll have a shot at the playoffs.”
The team sees this match as a turning point for its season, sitting at (4-10-6) in District 6-6A.
“The score line finally shows what we’ve been pushing for, but the effort, attitude and mentality was there,” Balcom said. “They fought and worked hard for it. This is the first time at the end it shows the right score.”
On Friday, the Cowboys host Flower Mound Marcus at Buddy Echols field, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
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