Lady Huskies to open soccer playoffs Friday

For the second time in their three-year soccer history, the Pawhuska High School Lady Huskies have locked up a spot in the Oklahoma Class 4A playoffs.

The Pawhuska girls capped up a 9-1 regular season (and a 4-1 District 4A-5 mark) with a Friday home victory over the Miami Lady Wardogs (6-5, 3-1).

In a decisive 4-1 triumph, the Lady Huskies handed Miami its initial district defeat and assured themselves of hosting a Friday play-in match to the state tourney. A 6:30 p.m. kickoff is slated at Ormand Beach Memorial Stadium.

PHS, which is No. 13 in the 4A rankings released Monday, will meet Wagoner, the third-place finisher from District 4A-8. The Lady Bulldogs are 7-5 overall and 5-2 in district, the identical marks as 4A-8’s Westville Yellowjackets.

Westville gained the 4A-8 runner-up spot April 22 by defeating the Bulldogs, 5-0, in a home district match.

Wagoner and Pawhuska had three common opponents on their regular schedules — Bristow, Miami and Victory Christian — and scored similar results against each of them.

In Friday’s Lady Huskie district home finale versus Miami, Karissa Hughes put the Lady Huskies up in the third minute of the match when she took a pass into the penalty area from junior teammate Macy Hurd and redirected it into the goal.

The score remained at 1-0 for the next 24 minutes before midfielder Genie Herren unleashed a strike from well outside the box that sailed beyond the reach of Lady Wardog goalkeeper Haley Bolles and landed in the far side of the net.

Four minutes later, with 9:01 showing on the first-half clock, junior forward Andie Sweeden gave PHS a three-goal advantage by lobbing a 15-yarder over the on-rushing Miami goalie.

The Lady Huskies used a strong wind at their backs for the second half to continue their offensive assault. Sweeden received a pass from senior midfielder Carlie Culver and hooked in her second goal to make it 4-0 with 27 minutes remaining to be played.

Despite being without their top defender (who reportedly was in Mexico attending a funeral), the visitors managed to hold off Pawhuska. The Lady Huskies took nearly three dozen shots on goal, compared to around 10 for the Lady Wardogs.