After Coppell established a lead in the first 15 minutes, consecutive goals by Keller attacker Grace Harol put Keller ahead by one goal. 

The Cowgirls were unable to recover, losing the first district match. Keller went on to dominate the Cowgirls, 15-7, at Coppell Middle School North yesterday.

Implemented earlier this week, the zone defense strategy allowed Coppell to make important saves. 

“It worked well but it definitely needs some touch-ups. It’s a big improvement from the last game,” Coppell sophomore attacker Haley Wenzel said.

Although Coppell’s defense has made a significant change from last Saturday’s match against Flower Mound, it still was unable to deter Keller’s strategic passes and speed. 

The combination of Coppell junior defender Paige Provost’s and Coppell junior goalie Kimberly Henze’s dominance posed a challenge to Keller’s attackers . 

 “Provost is a rockstar in our defensive zone and [she] really stepped up and took a huge responsibility leader-wise which has made a huge difference,” Coppell coach Logan Hendrick said. “[Henze] shows up to every game and makes a ton of saves and our team is very lucky to have her.”

Wenzel’s speed led the Cowgirl’s offense, scoring three out of Coppell’s seven goals. 

Keller’s domination was largely a result of quick pick-ups of ground balls, which allowed them to control the ball for the majority of the match. The Cowgirls played defense for the majority of the game as Keller’s defenders were quick to steal the ball and pass it to their attackers.

For the next match, Coppell will focus on keeping control of the ball and perfecting their defensive strategy. 

“[We’ll practice] the basics and working on ball control; if we don’t have the ball, we can’t score,” Hendricks said. “Making sure we are making good passes, picking up some ground balls on the first try and just taking care of the little things [to prepare for the upcoming match].”

Coppell plays at Lovejoy at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Follow Anvitha Reddy (@anvithareddytx) and @SidekickSports on Twitter.