State soccer preview: Inside Colleyville Heritage’s ‘incredible year’ and undefeated run
Colleyville Heritage girls soccer is heading the UIL state championship tournament in Georgetown.
The Panthers will face Pflugerville Hendrickson (21-3-2) at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday in a Class 5A state semifinal. The winner will play either Frisco Wakeland (24-0-2) or Leander Rouse (20-4-3) in the Class 5A state championship on Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Colleyville Heritage Panthers (23-0-2), on the road to state, have outscored opponents by a whopping 107 goals and have only conceded 16. Under the leadership of head coach Monte Pace, Heritage is undefeated ahead of the state semifinals.
Allie Love and Olivia Belcher are veteran leaders who have powered the Panther offense. Pace said the duo gives him confidence because of their work ethic, chemistry, ability to score on a moments notice and elite goal scoring abilities.
“It sure is nice to be able to lean on people that can score a lot of goals for you,” Pace said.
The Panther’s forwards are elite, but Pace emphasized the entire team is responsible for the program’s success. He said all players are ultra competitive and have contributed to producing well-rounded soccer in multiple formations.
“We have some talented defenders, we have a really good goalkeeper, we have a talented backline and they’ve been able to shut people down,” Pace said. “And then in the midfield, we have really technical, good soccer players that control the tempo of the game and they really choke the other team out. And then when you have kids up top that can finish and can really put the ball in the net, you put them under a lot of pressure.”
The Panther’s road to Georgetown
Pace became the head coach of Heritage girls soccer in 2015, and the program has made gradual steps toward becoming an area powerhouse.
In 2021, the Panthers lost to Burleson Centennial in the regional quarterfinals. The following season, fellow Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school Grapevine defeated them in the regional finals.
Last season, the Panthers took a step back with a fourth place finish in district 7-5A and were eliminated by Midlothian in the bi-district round.
“We’ve been trying to build something and it’s taken some time,” Pace said. “There’s been some times that we’ve taken two steps forward and one step back.”
According to Pace, the 2024 season is a culmination of what the seniors started nearly four years ago. He said one of the difference makers in the trajectory of the program has been the arrival and development of this year’s senior class.
Pace also said that one of the team’s strengths is having a mix of veteran leadership and skilled underclassmen, which created a “perfect storm” of talent.
“We have people with experience, people who have been there before who have a calming, steadying influence and the leadership that we need,” Pace said. “But then you also have the fresh faces that bring the energy.”
One of the young stars is freshman Addison Schimmick, who has scored seven goals this postseason run.
“It’s really great to come in as a freshman because everybody just so welcoming,” Schimmick said. “And all the seniors basically just took me under their wing.”
Hendrickson is expected to run a 4-3-3 system. The team’s back line stands out due to heights, and Pace said that could make winning balls in the air and defending corner kicks a challenge.
“I’m just really excited because we get to play some really high competition,” Belcher said. “And it’s just gonna be really exciting.”
Pace said the semifinal will be a “really fun game with two really good teams.”
“And it’s going to be a challenge for us, no doubt,” Pace said. “But you expect that when you get to the state semifinals.”
Colleyville Heritage, in the regional quarterfinals, faced another team that had size as one of its strengths: Midlothian, the team that eliminated the Panthers last season.
Midlothian took an early lead, but Colleyville Heritage secured the equalizer and go-ahead goals. Although Midlothian tied the game, Colleyville Heritage scored the game winner one minute later.
“It was an immediate response,” Pace said. “It showed a lot of the character this team has and what the team is all about. It was a great game.”
It was a close, evenly matched game but Colleyville Heritage came out on top. Now, the team is preparing to play on the grandest stage of Texas high school soccer.
The main message: Enjoy the moment
Pace and his staff’s main message to the girls throughout the playoff run has nothing to do with game plan or strategy, given the team understands how to play winning soccer. The message has been to “enjoy the moment.”
“Take time to appreciate what we’re a part of and what we’re doing,” Pace said, reflecting on his message. “Take time to cherish those relationships within the team and understand that you’re never going to be a part of this team ever again. We need to live in the moment. We need to work hard for each other. We need to play hard for each other.”
Regardless of the results at state, Pace said 2024 has been an “incredible year” for Colleyville Heritage girls soccer. He said the girls are an “amazing mix of kids” who enjoy being around each other, have lots of fun and play for each other.
“I’ve never been part of a team like this,” Pace said. “So, it’s been a lot of fun. And we’re very excited that we get to continue the journey for one more week.”
Colleyville Heritage will attempt to win a state championship for the first time in nearly 25 years. The Panthers will continue to rely on team unity as their driving force.
“I tell the girls all the time that our three core values are attitude, effort and unity,” Pace said. “And we really strive to be unified as a team. If we come together as a team and have that tight relationship — that helps us to play at a high level.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2024 at 2:39 PM.
.jpg)