Following their bi-district playoff win over Frisco, the Wylie East soccer team returned to McKinney Boyd in hopes of continuing its postseason push, taking on R. L. Turner in the area round of the 5A UIL playoffs Tuesday, March 30.

In a complete reversal from the first round matchup, the Lady Raiders were able to dominate their competition, scoring two goals in the first four minutes en route to a 10-0 victory over the Lady Lions.

After the game, coach Kody Christensen said he was proud of how the team managed to use their attacking formations to get behind the defense and earn a lot of attacking transitions.

“We’ve been successful all year because we’ve been able to hold possession really well,” Christensen said. “One of the things we did really well today that made us successful quick was creating dynamic runs and being creative in the final third of the field, allowing us to be in sync tonight, where we normally would see a succession of passes, you were able to see a couple of quick hitters, which allowed us in behind the defense and utilize our quickness.”

Wylie East started hot offensively, scoring in the third and fourth minutes to lead the Lady Lions 2-0. An own goal by the R. L. Turner goalkeeper gave the Lady Raiders a third goal, while a goal in the 32nd minute by Madison Martinez gave Wylie East a 4-0 lead heading into halftime. The Lady Raiders continued their offensive onslaught in the second half, scoring six more goals, including a Martinez goal 15 seconds into the second half and a free kick score by Amaya Dawkins in the 68th minute.

Wylie East’s early offensive success helped the team build confidence in the victory, senior Jayme Bailey said.

“I had a lot of nerves going into the game, but the early goals helped ease myself,” Bailey said. “Every time we score early in the game, we always perform better. I’m really proud of us coming together and being able to put more points on the scoreboard this time around.”

With the victory, the Lady Raiders advance to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2015-16, facing Frisco Memorial.

By Jackson King * [email protected]