Navarro Soccer: Bulldogs open Region XIV Tournament with 5-1 win over Jacksonville, move on to semifinals
Oct. 29—Navarro's women's soccer team opened the Region XIV Tournament Friday with a 5-1 victory over Jacksonville in the Region Quarterfinals at the Roark Montgomery Soccer Complex.
Five players scored in the opening round of the playoffs and No. 9 Navarro easily advanced to the Region Semifinals, which are against Blinn at noon Sunday against Blinn at Veterans Park in College Station.
Blinn is the last team to defeat Navaro. The Buccaneers won 1-0 back on Sept. 1 via forfeit. The Bulldogs are unbeaten since with two ties against unbeaten No. 3 Tyler since. They are 10-2-4 overall and 8-1-4 and have outscored opponents 85-13. Blinn is 12-4 overall and 8-3 in conference play and has outscored opponents 76-15.
Wakana Ose scored and handed out three assists and was the Player of the Game against Jacksonville. Payton Wallace scored and had an assist and Azucena Martinez, Madeline Davis, and Alexandra Watkins all scored for Navarro.
Goalkeepers Marcel Azuela and Sara Serrano stopped Jacksonville, which tied Navarro 0-0 Sept. 15.
"We got a lot opportunities (in the 0-0 tie) against them in the first game but we just didn't finish them," said Navarro Coach Alicia Wilson. "Our players stood up and played (Friday)."
The new format means to win the Region XV title a team will have to play three games in five days. The Bulldogs opened at home Friday and travels to College Station to play Blinn in the semifinals Sunday with hopes of moving on to the title game Tuesday at No. 3 Tyler, which moved on in the first round with a forfeit from Northeast, which didn't have enough players.
"They're excited to be in the playoffs. Obviously, we know it's going to be exhausting playing three games in five days," Wilson said." But we hope to win and move on."
