Lady Dragons prepare for clash with Hebron

Matt Colvin’s luck may have run out with his ability to flip a coin. But it shouldn’t be the way to look at Carroll’s Class 6A Region I area playoff game against defending state champion Lewisville Hebron on Thursday.

Colvin lost the flip for home vs. neutral, referees and even lost on the kind of ball that would be used for the game. Yes, that’s how detailed these playoff negotiations can become when it’s time to sort out the details.

The Lady Dragons (20-2-2) dealt with an early 1-0 deficit in their bi-district matchup against Mansfield. However, they put together a strong second half before coming away with a 3-1 victory.

Carroll plays at Hebron at 7 p.m. While that task appears to be daunting, this team has played in major settings in the past. These two met in the 2014 then-Class 5A Region I championship before Hebron won, 1-0.

“They’re a confident team and rightfully so,” Colvin said. “Really, I think had we won the flip and played at Dragon Stadium, there might have been some added pressure on us. It’s going to be an amazing game between two proud programs.”

While it all worked out, Colvin said he and his staff really didn’t address dealing with nerves with this team leading up the game against the Lady Tigers. After all, this group has made deep postseason runs. Thursday started off a little tight and it showed when Mansfield scored first.

Carroll eventually tied the game, 1-1, at halftime and then pulled away in the second half. The game shows teams aren’t robotic. There is always something different that is going to have to confront.

“It was refreshing to see,” Colvin said. “The last time we were down other than to Coppell was to Austin Westlake. We just told them at halftime that somebody was going to have to step up. I was very proud of the way they reacted and stayed with the plan.”

Meehan’s hat trick

It’s not often a Carroll score sheet doesn’t have Grace Cory, Allie Luna or Danielle Dennis on it. But the bi-district playoff did.

Junior midfielder Mary Meehan provided all of the scoring. She has earned her way into the starting lineup after spending the last couple of years coming off the bench. The postseason always reveals players who need to make their presence felt if a team is going to play for a while.

The first goal was one where Meehan took a feed and flipped it past the Mansfield keeper. The second followed a long throw-in. The finale came when Meehan outworked a defender and delivered it into the back right post.

“She’s had a fantastic year,” Colvin said. “Mary works extremely hard away from training and staying on her own. Those are the types of players who are usually rewarded. It was definitely a shining moment for her.”

No advantage

Carroll and Hebron are arguably two of the deepest and most talented teams in the state. The nucleus of each team returns for this match. There probably isn’t any trick that each side hasn’t tried. This should be a pretty even contest and will likely come down to whom gets the breaks.

“I don’t think we’re outmatched,” Colvin said. “We don’t have to play above the perfect game to win. But as the same time, we don’t want to be the program that state champions have to beat.”

Carroll has lost to the state champions the last two years, Hebron and then Plano West in the 2013 state finals.

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Lady Dragons prepare for clash with Hebron."