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The Celina girls soccer team not only won its second straight UIL Class 4A state championship on Thursday, but the Bobcats did it in record fashion. Senior Lexi Tuite scored four of her state record five goals in the first half and Celina defeated Stephenville 8-1 at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.
Celina wrapped up the season with a 29-0 record.
The Bobcats are just the third team to go undefeated in UIL girls soccer history. They also owned a 208-10 goal difference this season, including 40-3 in seven playoff games. Celina beat Boerne 2-0 in Wednesday’s state semifinals.
Tuite, who is a Northern Colorado signee, was the obvious state champ MVP. Her five goals are most by a player (boys and girls) in a single UIL state soccer tournament game, in any class. The previous record in Class 4A was four, held by Kennedale’s Allie Thornton in the 2016 state final. The boys record is four, held by Brenham’s Kyle Kmiec in the 2004 Class 5A state semifinals.
Tuite scored one goal against Boerne on Wednesday giving her six goals in two tournament games. Her six goals are tied for the most all-time in two tournament games (boys and girls, any class). She is tied with Plano West’s Brooke Bowman, who scored six goals in 2002.
Tuite finishes the season with a DFW leading 64 goals along with 17 assists. She scored 14 goals in seven playoff games.
Celina scored a pair of goals within the opening nine minutes of the match against Stephenville. Tuite scored a brace and converted two assists from Brielle Buchanan in the sixth and ninth minutes. She hit a hat trick in the 15th minute when she beat two defenders and poked a try past the keeper.
Tuite is the seventh girls soccer player to score at least three goals in a UIL state championship game.
Buchanan scored in the 22nd minute to make the Celina lead 4-0. She took a pass and beat a defender one on one before striking a try 25 yards out that bounced past the keeper. Tuite scored her fourth goal in the 28th minute, which pushed her in a tie with Thornton for most in a 4A final.
Stephenville (25-0-1), which beat Lumberton on Wednesday, was making its third appearance at state. The Honeybees won titles in their previous two trips in 2019 and 2017. They avoided the shutout in the 57th minute with a goal from Ansley Meza.
Tuite scored her record-breaking fifth goal in the 74th minute to extend the Celina lead to 6-1 and Mia Norman, who scored a goal against Boerne, scored a brace in the 75th and 79th minutes to up the lead to 8-1. Her first came from 40 yards out and her second also came from long range with 36 seconds left on the clock.
Other records for Celina included the most goals scored in a single game in girls history (semifinal or championship, any class). The previous 4A record was six by Midlothian Heritage (2021) and Kennedale (twice in 2016). The previous all-time record was seven by Cedar Park during a 2002 Class 5A state semifinal.
The eight goals are tied for most all-time in boys and girls soccer history.
The Wichita Falls Rider boys scored eight goals in the 2000 Class 5A title game.
Celina finished with six assists on Thursday, the most in a single girls state tournament game in Class 4A, the most in a championship game (any class) and tied for most in a state game for any class. The previous 4A record was 5 by Midlothian Heritage in the 2021 state final. Grapevine had six during the 2022 5A state semifinals. Celina and Grapevine’s six assists are the most for any state game (boys and girls, any class).
Buchanan finished with three assists, tied for most in a state tournament game (semifinal or championship) in UIL soccer history (boys and girls, any class). She is tied with Midlothian Heritage’s Sydney Dickson, who had three in the 2021 4A title game.
The Bobcats out-shot the Honeybees 6-2 in the first half and 16-1 in the second half (22-3 total).
Celina had five corner kicks while Stephenville didn’t have an attempt. SFA commit Kaitlyn Gustafson played all 80 minutes in goal for the Bobcats, who won their 50th straight match, dating back to Jan. 26, 2022. They haven’t suffered a loss in their last 58 games, which dates back to Jan. 6, 2022.
Celina finished 29-1-1 last season and beat Midlothian Heritage in the 4A final.
According to the UIL state program, Celina has 10 seniors. In the past four years, Celina has posted a 93-6-4 record (COVID canceled the final week of the season and the playoffs in 2020), 42-1-2 district record, back-to-back district and state titles, a state semifinal appearance in 2021 and an overall goal differential of 693-68. Celina averaged 6.7 goals per game during that span and gave up less than a goal per match with 64 shutouts.
