Lady Cats Soccer Coach Javier Aguayo said North Lamar surprised us all with how good they were as the Lady Cats and Pantherettes battled to a 2-2 tie at Gerald Prim Stadium Tuesday night (January 7). It was the season opener for the Lady Cats. Coach Aguayo called North Lamar a tough opponent and he said he was impressed with how speedy their top three forwards were. One of them got loose and scored a goal about 3:30 into the first half. Coach Aguayo said the Lady Cats played well and came back. Vanessa Lara scored the equalizer after a corner kick. Coach Aguayo said he thought it made a difference that North Lamar had already played four tournament games this past weekend. Three of the four games were played against highly ranked teams. North Lamar also took a 2-1 lead in the second half with about 20 minutes left. Coach Aguayo and Assistant Coach Kristov Martinez both encouraged the Lady Cats to not hang their heads and to keep battling. The Lady Cats again got the tying goal, this one from Katelyn Robinson after a nice assist from Rebekah Stanley. Coach Aguayo admitted he wanted his team to score a winning goal late in the match but he said the ball just would not go into the net. Coach Aguayo said he liked renewing the old rivalry with North Lamar. The two team played spirited games against each other as district opponents years ago. The Lady Cats begin play in a three day Pine Tree tournament that starts Thursday. Weather permitting, the Lady Cats are scheduled to play Jacksonville, Cleburne and host Pine Tree.
