The Foster High School girls soccer made history earlier in the week with a shutout victory over Barbers Hill to reach the regional semifinals for the first time.
But the Lady Falcons weren’t finished rewriting the Foster history books. The Foster girls did it again on Thursday night with another shutout.
Foster (21-3-1) defeated Manvel 2-0 at The Nest in Richmond to advance to play in the Region III-5A semifinals against Magnolia or Austin Anderson, who will have placed on Friday night.
“Reaching round four is a huge deal for our program,” Foster head coach Sabrina Wilmot said. “We literally made history, and I am super proud of this group.”
Foster soccer teams reach regional semifinals for first time
Foster’s Hannah Bolin lines up a pass against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Chloe Mills passes the ball to a teammate against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster High School girls soccer team players Kaitlyn Walsh (12) and Addison Zebold (9) celebrate a goal Thursday against Manvel at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Samantha Doherty throws the ball in against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Marin Stephan keeps the ball moving forward on offense against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Kaitlyn Walsh knocks down a pass against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Kaylee Ramirez fights for the ball against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
The Foster High School girls soccer team celebrates a win against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Whitney Pechacek, Jade Cheramie, Ceci Humble and Chloe Mills celebrate the Lady Falcons’ win against Manvel during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Foster’s Addison Zebold keeps the ball moving up the sideline during the Region III-5A quarterfinals playoff match Thursday, April 1, 2021 at The Nest in Richmond.
Friendswood, Pflugerville, A&M Consolidated and Port Neches-Groves are on the other half of the regional bracket.
The two games between Barbers Hill and Manvel had similar hallmarks. The Lady Falcons were the quicker and more aggressive team on the field.
Foster focused on retaining possession and building up runs for teammates.
On the other hand, Manvel could bump the Lady Falcons off the ball and make long runs through the midfield to set its offense.
The Lady Mavericks didn’t have much success creating shots in the final third. The Foster back-line defenders worked in tandem to disrupt the Manvel flow and steal the ball early and often.
“We came out tonight a little slower than usual, but we were persistent,” Wilmot said. “We were able to finish the game with the outcome we wanted.
“I think this shows our grit and passion about reaching our goal. This group of girls is highly motivated and excited to keep competing.”
Manvel couldn’t stop Foster’s sophomore Kaitlyn Walsh’s flow.
Walsh scored the Lady Falcons’ first goal 20 minutes into the game with an assist from senior Abrianna Morales.
Foster kept the pressure on Manvel over the final 20 minutes of the first half with multiple corner kicks along with shots on goal from senior Jessica Ventura, junior Angelica Bochus, and junior Ashley Bell.
No breathing room came for Foster before halftime, and the tension ramped up quickly with Manvel creeping closer to the Lady Falcons’ goal in the second half.
The Lady Mavericks earned a corner in the 48th minute and senior Olivia Bibbins put a shot on goal that required a stellar save from Foster senior Kelly Rivas in the 25th minute.
But the Lady Falcons quickly counter-attacked off of the Manvel shot, and freshman Kaitlyn Walsh finished off a run with a shot from the keeper’s left.
The keeper deflected the ball toward the middle of the field, just in front of the goal.
Walsh was waiting for the ball, and she quickly tapped in.
Foster was able to take a deep breath with a 2-0 lead.
Manvel attempt to mount multiple campaigns to retain the ball in their offensive end, but the Lady Mavericks weren’t able to keep up with Foster’s tempo and endurance.
Bochus and junior Jade Cheramie rushed the field when the final second ticked off the game clock with the regional quarterfinals championship banner.
After a team photo, the Lady Falcons quickly focused on rest and getting ready for Round 4.
“I think we just need to stay focused,” Wilmot said.
“We have to play with confidence, have fun and keep pushing ourselves because the competition will get tougher, so we need to continue to step up our game.”
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