Going into their third match-up against the Westlake Chaparrals in the Westlake Natatorium on Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Warriors dove in head-first to knock them out and head forward to the rest of the tournament and claim their spot on the podium.

“We were expecting this to be a much tougher game than in the past,” Captain Clare Braun ‘25 said. “All we knew was how we have improved a lot so we expected a closer game than this.”

The beginning of the game is where the Warriors began to win through passive defense and overwhelming offense. This passive defense started on the first race to the ball, the Warriors fell back and stacked the net to prevent any cheap shots by the Chaparrals. This defense served the Warriors exceedingly well as the girls beat Westlake to the goal, scoring three times before the Chaparrals had even a shot. However, this shot was not thrown away, as a fast break by Westlake put the score 3-1 halfway through the quarter. Soon after, Westlake saw a revival where missteps by the Warriors gave them their second goal and a chance at the lead. But the Warriors soon put down this hope with a takeaway, followed by a quick goal by Shraddha Sule ‘25 to end the quarter 4-2 with the Chaparrals on their back foot.

“This is what I hoped to do today,” Coach Matthew McBrearty said. “I knew they were going to be ready and aggressive, but I don’t think they knew how to deal with us.”

As the game began to slow and Westlake started to find a groove, Sara Horsey ‘27 stepped up with three turnovers and a goal, putting the game 5-3 towards the end of the second quarter. Horsey set her foot down and brought the Warriors the lead they needed to continue their fast gameplay. As the Warriors continued to crush Westlake’s hopes to a close half, they shifted into a defense-heavy set to prevent the Warriors’ score from growing. However, this brick wall defense that the Chaparrals adopted did not disrupt the Warriors’ 0-0. This 0-0 mindset is something that the girls have been working on in practice and what keeps the energy up even when the scores are far. 

“We have this phrase that is 0-0 and it’s where we play the game like it is tied at 0-0,” Katherine Mayer ‘25 said. “This saying fuels us to fight to get that next goal.”

During halftime, each team continued to discuss strategy; the Warriors over how to keep the ball in their possession and to kill the clock, and the Chaparrals over how to take back the game. As each team took the pool, each plan took effect. But soon, as Westlake fell apart, the Warriors capitalized on their missteps. Even with stand-out offensive plays, the Warrior defense never gave the Chaparrals a chance at a goal. This cycle eventually came to a head at the end of the quarter when the Westlake goalkeeper passed straight to Horsey in range of the goal, making the game 9-5 going into the fourth quarter.

“We tried to stick back and play a smart defense this game,” Braun said. “Coach has been teaching us the rules of engagement, the first being that, at any sign of a turnover, we need to go on the defensive.”

Holding their heads high to finish the game and the Chaparrals once and for all, the Warriors took the pool with one plan, to choke out Westlake. With Elyse Osborn ‘27 picking up any mistakes from the defense and Horsey accosting the Chaparrals in their territory, the Warriors did not break their pattern of excellence. This domination of both sides of the pool drove Westlake to their breaking point as their energy dropped and the Chaparral offense ended before the game did. However, This break in spirit opened doors to the Warrior offense as the girls picked up two more goals before the end of the game, finishing their second playoff game 11-7.

“We have been growing as a team and it’s beautiful to see,” Coach McBreatry said. “They move the ball, find open people, and their defense is unbelievable. They play a beautiful game.”

The Warriors will play their next playoff match against the Bridgeland Bears in Houston on Friday, Oct. 18 in their semi-final match for the state championship.