HUMBLE — The Port Neches-Groves Lady Indians were bitten in the regional semifinals Friday for the second year in a row.
A&M Consolidated got a goal from Brooke Shirley with 28:23 left in regulation and held on for a 1-0 victory at Turner Stadium in the Class 5A Region III semifinals. College Station High eliminated PN-G 2-0 in the semifinals last season.
The Lady Indians (18-3-6) started the playoffs off with a 5-1 win over New Caney Porter in the first round. PN-G did not score a goal in the next three playoff matches, including two overtime matches in the second and third rounds. It is a total of 240 minutes without a goal.
“They (Consolidated) took advantage of their opportunities and we did not today,” PN-G Aimee Bates said. “That was the difference in the match.”
The Lady Indians outshot the Lady Tigers 9-6 but Ashton Gully made five saves. Consolidated took three corner kicks in the match compared to zero for PN-G.
Lady Indians sophomore keeper Libbie LeJeune finished with four saves. The lone goal came from about 25 yards out and the shot was blocked from LeJeune’s view.
Friday was a far cry from the strategy implored by Bates in the last round against Class 5A No. 3 Fort Bend Ridge Point. The Lady Indians in that match play eight to nine players back on defense and won the match on penalty kicks, 3-1.
“Like I said going in, we were going to go at them,” Bates said of her strategy. “I thought our girls did a good job of possessing the ball and unfortunately we couldn’t not get one of those to go through and they did.”
The Lady Indians also could not get revenge for the second time this week. Ridge Point had defeated PN-G 3-0 on Jan. 9 at the A&M Consolidated Tournament and then lost to the Lady Indians in the playoffs.
Consolidated defeated PN-G 1-0 on the same day at its own tournament.
The Lady Indians had to deal with at least two injuries Friday. Senior Kayla Reed went down with a leg injury with 29:08 left in the first half and Kacie Wallace left with a concussion late in the first half.
Consolidated played physical all the way through the match. PN-G junior Meryl Williams went down twice in the match, once after taking an elbow to the face.
Bates was obviously proud of her team for reaching the regional tournament once again after finishing third in District 22-5A behind champion Lumberton and second place Nederland.
“I want them to remember they made it to the final four in our region,” Bates said. “I know it hurts right now. I will remember this team for their grit and their fight. I think this team learned life lessons throughout this season. It has been an awesome season.”