Colleyville Heritage girls soccer defeats Hendrickson, advances to state championship
Colleyville Heritage girls soccer competed in the UIL state tournament for the first time in 13 years and took advantage of the moment.
The Lady Panthers cruised to a 4-1 victory over Pflugerville Hendrickson in Georgetown, Texas at Birkelbach Field on Thursday. Colleyville Heritage will face Frisco Wakeland (25-0-2) in the Class 5A state championship at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“It feels great,” Colleyville Heritage head coach Mote Pace said. “We’ve had a good season. We’ve been playing really well. We got to the playoffs, and they’ve found some momentum. We came down here with the objective to make it down to the state championship game and give ourselves a chance.”
Colleyville Heritage (24-0-2) girls soccer’s last state championship win was 24 years ago. If head coach Monte Pace and the squad secure one more victory, they’ll finish the season as undefeated champions.
Hendrickson (21-3-2) showcased moments of competitiveness, but Heritage’s well-rounded play and consistent offensive attack proved too much to handle. Three players scored for the Panthers: Addison Shimmick, Allie Love and Ashlyn Bringedahl.
Bringedahl, following nearly 20 minutes of scoreless play, got her team on the board by finishing a cross from Bonnie Miller at the net.
“We’ve been working on framing the goal and getting runs into the box,” Pace said. “Not just relying on our front three but getting everyone up. I was very pleased with that.”
Shimmick, a freshman, gave Colleyville Heritage a 2-0 lead one minute later with a strong shot that further established the Panther’s offensive prowess.
Hendrickson scored its lone goal of the contest to cut the lead with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. Colleyville Heritage goalkeeper Juliana Grider made a ridiculous, point blank save at the net but Kaylee McKinley got the rebound and scored.
“It was a good job by them,” Pace said. They were aggressive getting into the box. We got a little stretched in the midfield and didn’t track as well as we should have. Juliana (Grider) made a great save but we had unmarked players in the box.”
Prior to the half, Shimmick added a second goal to her highlight reel with a free kick 35 yards away from the net. She leads the Panthers with nine goals in the postseason.
Pace said Shimmick’s goal gave the team a boost of energy and some momentum heading into the half.
“The free kick really stood out,” Pace said. “I guess because it was from so far away.
Love, a senior forward, scored Colleyville Heritage’s final goal of the contest with 30 minutes remaining. The Panthers proceeded to park the bus, stopping all scoring the rest of the way.
“If you give Allie (Love) enough time, she will usually find the net,” Pace said. “She’s so relentless. She just keeps working.”
Colleyville Heritage is attempting to secure back-to-back Class 5A girls state soccer championships for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. Grapevine defeated Frisco 1-0 to claim the title.
Prior to the game, the Colleyville Heritage team was singing, dancing and laughing as they prepared to play. The squad accomplished what Pace has been preaching: live in the moment and have fun.
“They’re a great group of kids and they are so loose,” Pace said. “They never get tense. ... They just don’t seem to feel the pressure.”
Pace said two main reasons for the teams success include chemistry and an infectious energy.
“The kids play well together,” Pace said. “They pass the ball to each other. It’s an unselfish team. They want to win. As a team, they want to have success and it doesn’t matter who scores the goals.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2024 at 11:48 AM.
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