Dripping Springs, Georgetown start girls soccer playoffs convincingly; area round begins
State-ranked Dripping Springs and Georgetown filled the goal as the two girls’ soccer powers won their bi-district playoff openers to advance to this week's area round.
Wimberley, Giddings, Burnet, McCallum, Hendrickson and Leander also won to move on, joining Round Rock, Westwood, and Vandegrift.
Dripping Springs dominated Stony Point 9-0 as Ellie Hodsden and Riley Sisson scored twice; the Tigers got solo goals from Grace Payne, Taylor Hodsden, Sophia Nuccio, Hayley Bodman and Ella Ruff.
Dripping Springs will miss Ellie Hodsden
Ellie Hodsden's postseason may be shortened, however, by good news: the sophomore will be in uniform for the Tigers' match against Cibolo Steele, but then will leave for France after having been selected as a member of the U.S. U16 national team, which will play in the six-team Mondial Montaigu tournament in western France from Wednesday through April 10.
The U.S. team will be in Group F along with Portgual and Norway, while Group E features France, Japan and Mexico. Each team will play the other teams in the group once, plus one match against a team in the other group that won't count in the standings. The group winners will play for the championship. The U.S. opens against Portugal on April 3, then France on April 5 and finishes with Norway on April 7.
“We are so excited that Ellie was selected for this honor,” Dripping Springs coach Bailee Perrine said. “She has been incredible for us, and this is huge to be part of such an elite group.”
Perrine is optimistic that the Tigers can play through and hopes to get Ellie Hodsden, who has scored nearly 50 goals this season, back on the pitch, but the Tigers would have to win three more rounds.
More: Vandegrift pushes past Johnson in bi-district playoffs
Georgetown, Leander, Burnet advance
In other area playoff action, Georgetown scored early and often as Maeve Connerty and Addie Russu scored two goals each as the Eagles blanked Northeast Early College 8-0. Finley Newell, Emie Benson, Ambrey Heath, and Galilea Martinez all scored with assists coming from Newell, Connerty, Mycah Morrow, Aubrey Pelczar, Heath, Avery Linck and Charlotte Brown.
Burnet beat Canyon Lake 6-1 as Brook Oliva had a three-goal hat trick while fellow freshman Taylor Petty and senior Lainey Rye had a goal each and Canyon Lake had an own goal. Wimberley blanked Marble Falls 2-0 on goals by Emily Thames and Izzy Franchione. Goalkeeper Claire Valentine recorded the shutout.
More: Westwood girls shut out Lake Travis in bi-district matchup
Leander got the only goal of the match by Kensley Smith to beat Pieper 1-0 while Liberty Hill lost to top-ranked Smithson Valley 2-1, Cedar Park lost 3-2 to New Braunfels Canyon and Bastrop outlasted Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders 4-2 despite being outshot 22-7.
Boerne Champion beat Rouse 2-0 and McCallum played to a 2-2 tie with East View and then advanced by winning the shootout 3-1. Hendrickson advanced by beating LASA 4-0. Giddings blanked Mexia 6-0 as Gabby Iselt had a hat trick plus one with four goals while Jaida Rodea had two goals and an assist and Miranda Tello added two assists.
Playoff schedule
Monday
Class 6A
Dripping Springs at Cibolo Steele, 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Class 6A
Round Rock vs. S.A. Reagan, 7 p.m. (Lehman)
Vandegrift vs. S.A. Johnson, 7 p.m. (San Marcos)
Westwood at New Braunfels, 7 p.m.
Class 5A
Georgetown vs. Lake Belton, 6 p.m. (Waco ISD Stadium)
McCallum vs. Belton, 6 p.m. (Georgetown)
Bastrop vs. Magnolia, 6:30 p.m. (Brenham)
Leander vs. Alamo Heights, 7:15 p.m. (Johnson)
Hendrickson vs. A&M Consolidated, 8 p.m. (Rockdale)
Class 4A
Burnet vs. Gonzales, 6 p.m. (Hutto)
Wimberley vs. Uvalde, 6 p.m. (Dub Ferris Stadium)
Giddings vs. Needville, 6:45 p.m. (Columbus)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: High school girls soccer playoffs head to area round
