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McKinney Boyd, in its deepest playoff run in 12 years, fought tooth and nail on Friday at McKinney ISD Stadium, but in the end the champs came out on top. Southlake Carroll, defending Class 6A state champ, erased a 1-0 halftime deficit with three goals in the second half to beat the Broncos 3-1 in a girls 6A Region 1 semifinal.
Carroll continues its undefeated run at 29-0 and will play in the regional final against FM Marcus (23-1-1) at 10 am Saturday at MISD Stadium. It’s a rematch of last year’s regional final (SLC won 2-0).
Boyd (19-6-3), in the regional tournament for the first time since 2011, got a good look at the goal that went high in the fourth minute. Keeper Shelby Henderson played well in the first half, making several nice saves to keep the game scoreless. Hannah Jordan sent a ball toward goal in the seventh minute only for Henderson to punch it off the top post.
Then she pushed a Carroll try out that resulted in a Dragons corner. On the corner, there was a scrum in the box and Henderson made another save with under 10 left in the half.
Boyd still pressured across the 50 highlighted by Purdue bound forward Lauren Omholt. She was fouled in the 13th minute and Taryn Thibeau lined up for the free kick 30 yards away. But Boyd didn’t score and the game remained scoreless.
Omholt had another attempt two minutes later, but Carroll keeper Olivia Geller, a nationally ranked keeper, made a nice save and jumped on the ball in the 15th minute. Thibeau took another shot in the 17th minute with Geller again securing the ball.
Boyd’s pressure finally paid off in the 23rd minute when Liz Eddy beat two Carroll players, crossed it to Elaina Flores, who found the back of the net from 12 yards yards out. It was the first time Carroll had surrendered a goal since March 7 and first in the playoffs since the area round last season against Frenship.
Carroll nearly hit the equalizer in the 37th minute. Marley Naughton hit a ball looking for a header, but the ball bounced past everyone and hit the right post. Houston bound forward Maddie Khan sent one toward a wide open header, but her kick was high in the 39th minute and Boyd led 1-0 at intermission.
Then Carroll changed the course in the second half.
UNT commit Kenzi Tufts was fouled in the 49th minute and Hannah Jordan took the free kick. She sent one from about 20 yards, and Tufts and Maddie Khan finished the play off with the score and 1-1 tie.
Ava Olson was fouled, but a Jordan free kick was high in the 52nd minute.
The Dragons took their first lead in the 57th minute. Kaylie Harris hit a cross to the box and Jordan headed it in to beat Henderson from 10 yards out. It was Jordan’s 22nd goal of the season.
Tufts ripped a shot from 30 that was just wide right in the 68th minute, but Carroll did score an insurance goal in the 69th minute when Kamdyn Fuller sent a ball that went off a Boyd defender, who tried to clear it. Lexi Khan was able to score off the rebound to make it 3-1.
Carroll, which beat Rockwall 4-0 in last season’s state final, were without two of its best players in Kennedy Fuller and Zoe Matthews. Both players are in France with the U-16 women’s youth national soccer team. Fuller and Matthews also didn’t play in the regional quarterfinals against Odessa Permian and will miss Saturday’s regional final.
Fuller, a North Carolina commit, has 55 goals and 26 assists this season. She was state champ MVP with a hat trick last season and the Gatorade Texas POTY. Matthews, who was on the state all-tourney team, has 22 goals and 26 assists this season.
