2024 YHS Lady Bulldogs Soccer Team

By Mark Lube on Wednesday, January 10, 2024
  • The Yoakum HIgh School (YHS) Lady Bulldog Soccer Team placed third in the Yoakum Tournament. Contributed photo.
    The Yoakum HIgh School (YHS) Lady Bulldog Soccer Team placed third in the Yoakum Tournament. Contributed photo.

    The Lady Bulldogs soccer team won two, lost two and tied one game in their home tournament last Thursday through Friday, getting third place.

    YOAKUM 4, VICTORIA ST. JOSEPH 0 (THIRD-PLACE GAME)

    Andrea Reyes-Martinez, Rubi Martinez, Angela Flores and Aubrie Jendrzey each scored one goal in the Lady ‘Dogs’ 4-0 win over Victoria St. Joseph Saturday morning in the third-place match.

    YOAKUM 1, SMITHVILLE 0

    A great deal of offensive possession and a brick-wall defense and goalkeeping resulted in the Lady Bulldogs taking a 1-0 win against Smithville in Yoakum’s first tournament game.

    Between the 13:15 and the 13:00 mark of the second half, Yoakum’s Illana Garcia played a ball wide left to Daphne Oviedo, who sent a cross into the box where it was settled on the right side by Mileydi Gonzalez who took a touch or two before sending a low shot into the net.

    The Lady Tigers appeared to score the game-tying goal around the 3:32 mark but the Smithville forward was called offsides on the play.

    Yoakum had a couple of more chances late for an insurance goal and to pad its goals-for tiebreaker— at the 2:57 mark, a corner kick by Oviedo reached Andrea Reyes-Martinez but her shot went wide right at 2:36.

    Seconds later, Rubi Martinez had a shot bounce off the crossbar.

    With around 40 seconds left, the Lady Tigers had an opportunity to tie the game except for a solid tackle challenge by Yoakum defender Taylor Velek to dispossess a Smithville attacke and knock the ball at for a corner kick. Time ran out as the Lady Tigers were preparing to take the ensuing corner kick.

    The Lady ‘Dogs started the game with the ball in Smithville’s half but did not get a chance until a shot on goal by Andrea Reyes-Martinez went wide at the 17:26 mark.

    Rubi Martinez had a shot go high at 14:04 of the first half and a little later, Yoakum had two corner kicks.

    Around the 6:12 mark, Gonzalez attempted to add to her first goal with a shot that went left.

    Less than five minutes into the second half, Oviedo played a ball to Andrea Reyes-Martinez that ended in a wide shot.

    Another good chance came at the 16:06 mark when Andrea Reyes-Martinez gathered a pass from Rubi Martinez and the shot was saved.

    EL CAMPO 2, YOAKUM 1

    A goal 8:41 into the second half by the Lady Ricebirds proved to be a killer as El Campo took a 2-1 win in the Lady ‘Dogs second pool game. Yoakum got down by a goal in the first half but scored with just a few seconds left to equalize.

    Lady Ricebird Maddie Gaona ran onto a ball and dribbled into the right side of the box before unleashing the game-winning goal at the 16:16 mark.

    In the game’s last eight minutes, Yoakum had a couple of chances to rally again. Jackie Melendez had an on-target shot that was saved and a few minutes later, had a point-blank shot that was stopped and scooped by the keeper.

    The Lady ‘Dogs came fast out of the gates to get control of the game as Melendez made a pass to Andrea Reyes-Martinez whose shot was saved 30 seconds into the game.

    It was the Lady Ricebirds who got the first lead as Megan Collins received a pass while being guarded closely by the Yoakum defense but got into a 1-on-1 through the middle and scored.

    The ‘Dogs put together a couple of shots throughout the half but could not score until they were awarded a free kick with just about 16 seconds left.

    Oviedo sent a high ball into the box that Andrea Reyes-Martinez gently tapped into the back of the net to get a 1-1 tie right at halftime.

    YOAKUM 0, HALLETTSVILLE 0

    The Lady ‘Dogs concluded pool play with a scoreless draw with rival Hallettsville on Friday morning and placed fourth place overall after pool play.

    Yoakum was able to keep more possession than the Lady Brahmas and kept a lot of it on Hallettsville’s side of the field.

    Just a couple of minutes into the game, Yoakum had two corner kicks in quick succession and a minute later, Oviedo had a shot from the left side that was saved.

    Hallettsville’s first sniff of Yoakum’s goal came nearly eight minutes in when the Lady Brahmas strung a couple of passes together but the attack eventually ended when Yoakum goalkeeper Gabi Gonzalez gathered up a ball in her box.

    With around 17 minutes left in the half, Rubi Martinez sent a shot that went a little wide left.

    Four minutes into the second half, Yoakum had a couple of direct free kicks in 20 or 30 yards from the Hallettsville goal.

    Several minutes later, Oviedo had a shot that was saved.

    Around the 15:40, the Lady Brahmas had a shot go wide and at 13:24, took a direct free kick that was blocked by a defender.

    Yoakum quickly put together another chance as Melendez took a shot that went wide at 12:09 and had another shot at 7:29 that was saved.

    The Lady ‘Dogs had a couple of chances in the final six or so minutes— at 6:50, Brianna Lopez got a ball to Garcia, who shot wide. Lopez later had a long-range shot saved; Andrea ReyesMartinez shot left and a shot from Makayla Olmedo was initially caught by the keeper but juggled, dropped and cleared out by a defender.

    YOAKUM VS EL CAMPO

    The Lady ‘Dogs started bracket play Friday afternoon, playing El Campo for the second time in the tournament. The Lady Ricebirds posted a second win over Yoakum.