No coach likes to lose, but Mansfield girls soccer coach Jay Zeller could see a bad result coming after his team beat South Grand Prairie 4-1 last week.
In that game, the dominant Lady Tigers gave up their first goal in District 7-5A play. Then in Mansfield’s next game, Timberview took down Mansfield 1-0.It was somewhat of a wakeup call for what had been an almost perfect season for Mansfield. The loss was the Lady Tigers’ first in district play and just their second overall. Now, Zeller said, it’s time for the team to get back on track.“I think part of the struggle as of late is possibly due to that we got a little bit relaxed and lost our focus a bit in both games last week,” Zeller said. “Luckily we came away with a win in one and unfortunately a loss in the other.”Zeller had nothing but praise for Timberview’s effort on Friday night. He said anytime the two crosstown rivals match up, the game can be a toss-up with how hard both teams play.But that doesn’t mean he want his team to brush off its latest loss. He wants them to learn and go back to what was making Mansfield successful in the first 17 games.“We’ve got to fix some of that focus and get that back into the last five games leading into the playoffs,” he said. “We’ve got to get the discipline on the field.”That was the key to their success so far, Zeller said. It’s what separated this team from the previous two teams.Zeller said that this group played more as a team than before and showed much more focus.“The girls were focused, they went into games and worked together and played hard for each other,” he said of how his team played earlier in the year.Last week whittled Mansfield’s lead in first place in 7-5A from three games to two. The Lady Tigers still have a cushion but know they have to get back to the way things were or the district title race could get more interesting than Zeller would like.That happens with team play. Zeller didn’t mention any of his individual players when talking about what it takes to win. He said it takes more than a handful of players to make a great team.“I hate talking about one person,” he said. “It’s a team effort. I think as a unit, collectively, we’ve played well, definitely for the most part.“It takes the 11 girls on the field and the 12 or 13 sitting on the bench behind them that aren't getting same amount of playing time but know what their roles are and understand it.“We don’t pull this off with one or two people.”Defensively, the Lady Tigers are fine. Mansfield has only allowed seven goals in its 18 games this season. That’s not new. Zeller’s Mansfield teams always have an aggressive, furious defense.It’s on offense where Zeller has seen the biggest change. Last season, the Lady Tigers didn’t lose a district game, but had six ties and finished in second place.Those ties occurred because Zeller said Mansfield couldn’t put teams away and make the big play to win the game. Now, the Lady Tigers are racking up the goals and finishing off games strong.“It’s still important to have an early start, a good quality start,” Zeller said. “As soon as that first ball is kicked, just get after them. It’s about having that competitive drive. It doesn't matter how we matchup on paper.“We have to play every team like their a state champion. It puts teams on a lot of pressure when you get out to an early start.”Starting early circles back to the team focus Zeller always wants from his Lady Tigers. He said past teams weren’t as together as this current squad.It makes a big difference on the field, Zeller said.“They know and trust the girls next to them, they know they're going to battle for each other,” he said. “That’s the missing link from last season.“It’s a constant battle to keep that. That’s what we’re dealing with a lack of focus. We’ve got to get back to what made us successful and that’s playing for each other and a total team effort and not playing for me.”Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
