GEORGETOWN – “10… 9… 8…” 

The countdown has begun. 

This countdown was not just any countdown; it was the countdown for the Class 6A Division I state championship between the Coppell girls soccer team and Lake Travis.

“3… 2… 1…” 

Water gets sprayed everywhere on Birkelbach Field as Coppell solidifies history as state champions winning 6-2 over the Lady Cavaliers. 

“I am still at a loss for words,” Coppell senior Summer Chen said. “The game plan was to play our game because we’re the best team in the state and we wanted to prove it.” 

Winning the Class 6A Division I MVP, Chen had two goals along with an assist. 

“She works hard every day in practice,” Coppell coach Craig Able said. “She wants to win no matter the game, no matter the practice, no matter the moment, and she’s just a winner and she proved it tonight again.” 

The first half was a half full of momentum shifts. The first goal of the game came off of Coppell junior forward Neerali Kapadia as she went 60-yards with the ball on a solo run, cashing in with a shot in the top left corner, doinking off the post and in. 

The second goal was off of a Chen corner to senior midfielder Monica Morales as the ball played in beautifully for a header into the middle of the net. 

“When they scored those two goals we were really, really confident,” Chen said. “I wasn’t going to doubt that we were going to take the state championship.” 

After a switch in formation and a couple of substitutions by the Lady Cavaliers, momentum shifted, scored on a ball that went off the crossbar and deflected out to senior forward Banin Patterson, who chipped it in over two Coppell defenders.

“We were all gas, no breaks,” Coppell senior forward Monica Morales said. “When we would lose the ball, we would get it back. When they scored, we made sure to come back harder and adjust.” 

As the game entered the second half, chaos ensued. 

A quick goal by Chen, who curved it in from 35-yards out in the first five minutes of the second half, was quickly followed by an open net goal by Lake Travis senior forward Kayla Gibbons, who found the ball after a miscommunication by the defending Cowgirls two minutes after scoring. 

“We talked about consistency all week,” Able said. “We had a couple of moments where we weren’t as consistent as we’d like to be, but I mean ultimately the girls got focused.” 

Two minutes after the goal by Gibbons, Morales scored another screamer off of a set piece free kick hitting the top of the net making the score 4-2. 

Four minutes later, Chen curled in a free kick, 21-yards out, going over the keeper and into the back of the net. 

Later, Kapadia had her second of the night, lacing the ball off her head, coming off another corner kick. 

“You can’t complain when your team has scored six goals,” Able said. “I made sure to remind them to play within themselves and don’t let the other team through.” 

Breaking a 10-year absence, Coppell girls soccer has won it all, again. 

“It’s so surreal,” Chen said. “We’ve always known that we had the capability to win state. The whole year we had one goal in mind and we finally did it.”

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