Waxahachie Ends Hallsville Girls’ Soccer Season On Penalty Kicks

LINDALE -- Waxahachie senior Aeriel Horton decided to take matters into her own hands with her team's season on the line in a Class 5A Region II area-round playoff.

Horton, a defender and reserve goaltender, scored the go-ahead goal and stopped a Hallsville attempt moments later to send Waxahachie to a thrilling 3-2 win in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation Thursday night at Eagle Stadium.

Waxahachie (15-3-4) advanced to the regional quarterfinals where it will face the winner of Friday night's match between Texas High and Mansfield Lake Ridge.

Hallsville, which forced overtime with a goal in the waning minutes of regulation, finished its season at 15-6-2.

Waxahachie misfired on its first two shots in the penalty kicks session, but connected on its final three -- the first two coming from Abigail Martinez and Rebecca Rivas, respectively. Rivas' goal gave Waxahachie a 2-1 advantage following a Horton save on Hallsville's third PK attempt.

Cassie Perry evened things up at 2-2 on Hallsville's fourth PK try, before Horton's goal to the lower left corner gave Waxahachie the lead for good.

Waxahachie dominated the action for the first 75 minutes of regulation, but was clinging to just a 1-0 lead when Perry took a pass from Elisha Leathers and pushed a header past Waxahachie starting keeper Brooke Payne, tying the match at 1-1 with 5:40 remaining.

Neither team mounted much of a threat in the two 10-minute overtime periods, which necessitated the shootout.

Martinez was responsible for Waxahachie's only regulation goal when she weaved in between two Hallsville defenders and fired a 30-yard shot by Hallsville goalie Alexys Montgomery with 23:16 remaining in the opening half.