TX Playoffs: Overtime goals propel Stratford against Jordan

The playoffs continue to progress in the high school soccer season in Texas and now every day, for each team excited with their qualification for the next round, we have another one frustrated with their season coming to an end.   Prep Soccer Texas continues to follow the action closely in the Houston area and on Monday, March 25, we went to Stratford High School, where the home team, the Stratford Spartans, defeated the Jordan Warriors 3-1 in overtime after a 1-1 tie in the regular time in the area round.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://t.co/WcDnnUHpuX">Photos: Stratford vs. Jordan</a></li> </ul>   The first half was very even, with Jordan dominating the first portion and Stratford controlling possession in the other part of it. Iroically, the Warriors scored when Spartans were on the front foot, when senior Ashley Hernandez started a quick transition play and found junior [player_tooltip player_id='26414' first='Alexandria' last='Ledbetter'] on the right. She drove the ball out wide and hit an excellent shot from a difficult angle to send the ball into the back of the net.   The second half, on the other hand, was entirely dominated by the Spartans, who needed a goal to remain alive. The home team heavily controlled possession, but couldn't find a way to get into Jordan's organized backline. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='108733' first='Allison' last='Goodwin'] succeeded in an individual play on the right and leveled the score with a powerful shot that went into the upper corner.   After working hard to score in the regular time, Stratford needed just the first half of overtime to decide the match. The Spartans jumped ahead within the first minute, when sophomore Juliana Molinas got the rebound of a blocked shot inside the penalty box and hit a powerful shot into the upper corner. A few minutes later, a penalty kick was called to the home team due to a handball, but junior [player_tooltip player_id='140588' first='Sydney' last='Valentine'] shot it wide. The Spartans had another chance to score from the spot after Goodwin was taken down inside the penalty box and this time senior [player_tooltip player_id='54870' first='Ryann' last='Weber'] converted it, sealing the victory.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Time is over here as <a href="https://twitter.com/StratfordGSoc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StratfordGSoc</a> come from behind to beat <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanGSoccer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JordanGSoccer</a> 3-1 after extra time and advance to the Regional Quarterfinals later this week. Photos and Match Report coming up shortly at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepSoccerTX</a>. <a href="https://t.co/YnFnm4xIEq">pic.twitter.com/YnFnm4xIEq</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1904719391469478046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>   Stratford now have a 19-2-3 win record for the season and will play Kingwood, who defeated Shadow Creek 3-0, in the Regional Semifinals later this week.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    After a somewhat quiet first half, the senior forward took charge of the game and played a key role in Stratford's comeback, getting involved in the team's three goals. Goodwin improved her movement during the match and consistently got into good spots to get on the ball and make plays. Her runs with the ball and her ability to beat defenders off the dribble were huge weapons for the Spartans and helped them find space in Jordan's tight backline. Goodwin leveled the score with a beautiful shot after a great play on the right, started the play that resulted in the team's second goal and drew the penalty kick that gave the team the chance to score the third one.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0100_cb8027.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283088" /></figure>    The senior midfielder got on the ball a lot and never gave up on trying to make things happen in the attacking half. Paul moved very well on the final third, always making herself available to teammates, and was consistently involved in the team's offense. She passed the ball very well, but she also tried to break Jordan's strong defensive unit with quick dribbles to create space and shots from a distance. The left-footed playmaker combined very well with the midfielders around her and also provided great service in set pieces.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/marypaul3_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marypaul3_</a> with the shot from outside the box but <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorT_09?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaylorT_09</a> handles it just fine. <a href="https://t.co/lg9nMS9G5c">pic.twitter.com/lg9nMS9G5c</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1904695264654291014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>    Playing at the base of Stratford's midfield, the senior was consistently present in the attacking half and helped the team create chances with intelligent passing and runs on the ball. Weber operated as a deep-lying midfielder and was very efficient at getting the ball from the defenders and getting it to the final third. She also did a great job of picking up second balls and, because of how well her, Paul and fellow midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='155725' first='Sara' last='Benton'] handled possession in the final third, the Spartans were able to suffocate Jordan, creating successive offensive plays. Weber stepped up to take a penalty kick in a critical moment of overtime and converted it, giving the Spartans some room to breathe in the final portion of the match.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Goal <a href="https://twitter.com/StratfordGSoc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StratfordGSoc</a> ! It's another PK and this time <a href="https://twitter.com/Ryannweber07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ryannweber07</a> buries it. 3-1 <a href="https://t.co/YVcWjEmkLN">pic.twitter.com/YVcWjEmkLN</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1904713548275540237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>    The sophomore came off the beach to help at right wingback/midfielder and did a good job on both sides of the ball. Molinas had a good presence on the final third and appeared in a great spot to get the ball inside the penalty box and fire an excellent shot that gave the Spartans the lead in the first minute of overtime. She also played with great energy on defense and helped shut down Jordan's offensive attempts on that side.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0131.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283097" /></figure>    The junior was a constant threat up top for the Spartans, using her pace and high-energy game to repeatedly challenge their backline. Valentine did a great job of stretching the field and her strong runs on the left side often required a central defender to step up and help contain her, opening up space in the middle for her teammates to explore. The forward missed a penalty kick in a critical moment of the match, but the error didn't take anything from her confidence as she continued to work hard and play aggressively in the final third.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0044_c79cdc.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283069" /></figure>    The junior had a brilliant first-half performance and was one of the reasons why Jordan went into the halftime break ahead. Playing on the right side of the Warriors' offense, Ledbetter was a handful for Stratford's backline, using her pace and quality on the ball to create chances. She was flawless in the play in which she scored the team's goal, timing her run extremely well in a transition play and hitting a very difficult shot from a tight angle. From the second half on, with Jordan struggling to hit in transition, she wasn't as active offensively, but continued to do a good job of tracking back and helping the team defensively, making some good plays off the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0058_4bfa5f.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283073" /></figure>    The senior center back wasn't to blame for any of the three goals conceded by her team and had an excellent performance. Fellow center back Lila Bailey and Robertson were extremely disciplined and resilient to contain Stratford's potent offense for most of the match and were consistently called to action. Playing as a right-side center back, she made many pivotal actions inside and around the penalty box, blocking shots and winning duels. Robertson also did very well every time she had to step up and cover teammates in wide areas, showing excellent mobility and great positioning.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0036_3d7580.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283068" /></figure>    The freshman was very active in midfield and played a major role in helping Jordan dominate the central area of the field in part of the first half. Villarreal played with great energy and covered a lot of ground, appearing in different areas of the field to win duels and make stops, successfully keeping up with Stratford's intensity. She also contributed in possession, driving the ball forward with some runs through the middle and connecting long passes in transition plays.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0087_65aabb.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283082" /></figure>

The playoffs continue to progress in the high school soccer season in Texas and now every day, for each team excited with their qualification for the next round, we have another one frustrated with their season coming to an end.