By Terry Carter,
Soccer champions aren’t crowned without hard-fought victories. Scars and rivals testing each other’s heart and desire are standard among the elite teams.
In recent years, both the unbeaten Seven Lakes Lady Spartans (22-0-2) and Tompkins Lady Falcons (19-3-3) have been stymied in their quest to reach the Region III-6A semifinals. Seven Lakes lost a scoreless gem to 2022 state qualifier Ridge Point in a 2022 regional quarterfinal shootout, 5-4.
Ridge Point (20-0-5) has about the same offensive production as in 2022 when they won Region III and finished 26-1. This year the Panthers yielded a tie to Elkins in district play on March 1.
The Seven Lakes-Ridge Point battle on Friday at 7:30 p.m., however, is different than in 2022 in several ways:
- First the quarterfinal match is set at Rhodes Stadium in Katy, instead of Tully Stadium.
- Second the Lady Spartans have scored 59 percent more goals than last year (95 now, compared to 56). The offense has more weapons and is led by a standout in Haydan Erck, and defensively no one is better than Seven Lakes goalkeeper Maddie Rich.
- Could this quarterfinal showdown again wind up in overtime or come down to the final shooter in a penalty-kick battle of wills? Yes. Both keepers are exceptional. But this time Seven Lakes has a host of reasons to play the match with more motivation. Stay tuned.
Tompkins has similarly dropped two consecutive playoff battles against 2022 regional finalist Stratford. Last years it was a 3-2 battle among regional powers that propelled the Spartans (18-4-3) past Tompkins.
Lady Falcons soccer coach Jarrett Shipman said Thursday his talented team is hungry for a rematch. The Friday regional quarterfinal will be played at Tully Stadium at 7 p.m. in the heart of Stratford country. But Shipman sees that without bias.
“Friday will be our biggest test this year with Stratford. We’ve lost three coin flips so far. And we play in Stratford’s backyard, but it’s good. We bring a good crowd on the road with us,” Shipman said.
Tompkins features a mix of young talent and veteran leadership. Freshman forward Regain Coombs (17 goals, 14 assists—48 points) and senior midfielder Kayla Boven (19 goals, 8 assists—46 points) lead the offensive production.
With senior goalkeeper Gabby Vasquez, a 4-year starter who holds the school’s career record for shutouts, playing, this Tompkins squad can compete with any team, the coach said.
They are among the regional elite in recent years, along with West Brook, Seven Lakes, Stratford and Ridge Point and others. And Tompkins, in 2019, defeated Stratford and Ridge Point, in its most recent Region III-6A championship run to state. It’s all down to execution and desire now.
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- Seven Lakes forward Haydan Erck (9) is one of most dynamic scoring threats in 6A soccer. She has plenty of company, however, capable of scoring extra goals for the Lady Spartans this season. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
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- Seven Lakes senior Maddie Rich is one of the key cogs in the Lady Spartan machine. She suppresses opposing teams and dictates actions and coverage on the pitch, which is a huge advantage in key matches like Friday’s regional quarterfinal showdown with Ridge Point at Rhodes Stadium. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
