The intensity of the match was fueled by the determination of two defending state champions, with Flower Mound Marcus girls soccer team ultimately scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Coppell.

A light drizzle following the final score of the match marked the disappointment amongst the Cowgirls on Tuesday at Buddy Echols Field.

In the first half, Coppell senior midfielder Rachel Matthew scored to give Coppell a 1-0 lead by claiming possession after a pass from her teammate.

For the next 18 minutes, no goals were scored.

Marcus senior defender Piper Garcia moved into an open space and tied the score, 1-1, with five minutes left in the first half.

“We battled really hard tonight,” Coppell coach Craig Able said. “Marcus is a defending state champ just like we’re defending state champs, so it’s an incredibly intense game with lots of intense moments.”

With multiple close goals and consistent passing of the ball, both teams struggled to reach the net.

However, the Marauders were able to take the last goal of the game with 30 minutes remaining on the clock, leading 2-1.

“Throughout the game, we never had a dull moment, and we just kept on going full time,” Coppell freshman defender Lainey Wells said. “I feel like they might have overworked us today, especially on 50-50 balls. And if we won those, we might have a better chance of winning.”

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