Alexander’s 5 goals leads Ladycats past Galveston Ball

“These district games, you never know, but we made sure to work on our passing game and make sure we are anticipating passing, making quick passes and not hanging onto the ball too long,” Ladycats coach Jennifer Briggs said. “Some of our girls are playing different positions because you never know who you’re going to see in the postseason.”

Alexander had a hat trick with 14:21 remaining in the first half and added a pair in the second half before calling it quits with 13:16 left in regulation. The junior has made a strong case as one of the best, if not the best, soccer players in the district in her comeback from last season’s torn ACL.

“She is just a tremendous asset to our team. She is an amazing athlete — I can’t brag enough about that kid,” Briggs said. “She gives everything that she’s got out here, and it’s like she was never hurt. She just came back full force, and she hasn’t skipped a beat.

“She is definitely a threat offensively, but you could put her anywhere on this field, and she is going to play her hardest.”

After the Ladycats worked out some of the early kinks, they got on the board courtesy of Alexander’s shot from atop the penalty box for a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the game.

Alexander received the ball on a throw-in in the 22nd minute and got the shot off from the right side of the box with three defenders attempting to guard her. Four minutes later, Hilda Mendoza’s corner kick deflected off a Galveston Ball player in the middle of the box and found Alexander, who wasted no time sending the ball past Ball goalkeeper Maria Flores for the hat trick.

Mendoza got her goal when she intercepted a pass from the other side of the field, outraced the Ball defense down the left sideline, then booted the ball from 10 yards out for a 4-0 lead in the 32nd minute.

Saturday was also a big day for Lomholt, a foreign exchange student from Denmark. The junior midfielder’s parents were at the game, Briggs said, and Lomholt put on a show by putting two balls in the back of the net.

The first was in the 39th minute when Abigayle Brereton pushed the ball up the right sideline and passed it in the middle to Lomholt, who booted it in for a 5-0 Angleton lead.

“That was textbook. It was perfect,” Briggs said.

Lomholt’s second goal came on a corner kick from Brereton, whose kick sailed over Lomholt but bounced off a player on the backside and found the junior in the middle. Lomholt finished the play for a 6-0 lead.

“Ellen was finishing stuff in the middle, and we had been working on that. She did a great job there,” Briggs said. “In practice, I’ve noticed a couple of little things that she’s been doing, and what the heck, let’s put her in. She is a smart kid, she gets it and she has good field awareness.

“She did exactly what she is supposed to do out there and got two goals. She was able to score those two goals in front of her family, so that was special.”

Alexander finished the scoring with goals in the 63rd and 67th minutes.

Saturday’s win is Angleton’s ninth in 11 games, turning in a 9-1-1 record during that stretch. The Ladycats turn their attention to the playoffs looking to get past the pesky second round — where the Ladycats’ season ended each of the last three years.

Briggs believed No. 2-seeded Angleton (9-2-1, 6-3-1) would open the postseason against Crosby (4-2-1, 8-2-2), who has one game remaining on its schedule before the postseason.