The Sachse Mustangs entered the regional semifinals against Bridgeland against all of the odds.

After upsetting Lake Ridge the week prior, Sachse came out firing on all cylinders once again, but ultimately it wasn’t enough, as they fell to Bridgeland 4-3 in penalty kicks on April 6. In the high-scoring affair, the Mustangs found plenty of opportunities. A team that typically relied on its defense, Sachse had seven clean sheets in its previous eight games. Cooper Tea provided the offense in the game, connecting on all three goals for the hat trick.

Sachse again found them­selves in a tightly contested match, but the midfield did a strong job with Harun Spahalic and Ethan Sampson providing the assists for Tea’s goals overall. The game went to the end of reg­ulation even before extra time, where Sachse couldn’t break through before penalty kicks.

Going 5-for-5 during the shootout, it went to sudden death, when the Mustangs missed the net. At that point, Bridgeland just needed to score, which they did by slotting the ball into the left side of the goal.

After the game, head coach Ja­cob Bruehl said he was proud of the boys’ effort during the season and looking forward to building towards next year. He also added that it was a fun game to be a part of and credited Bridgeland for the great win.

Bridgeland went on to lose in the regional finals, losing to Rockwall Heath on April 9. For Sachse, their season came to an end after a 20-4-4 run during the season, including an 11-3 record against District 9-6A competi­tion. The district champions end­ed the season with a top defense who allowed just 15 goals all sea­son and five in district play.

For the full story, see our April 15 issue or subscribe online.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]