By Michael Adams
madams@onthesidelinesports.com
Here is everything you need to know about this weekend’s UIL girls state soccer tournament at Georgetown. You can find the boys tournament preview here.
State tournament schedule
State semifinals
at Birkelbach Field, Georgetown
Class 6A
Westlake (16-4-2) vs. Rockwall (21-3-2), 9:30 a.m., Friday
Prosper (24-2-2) vs. Katy Seven Lakes (19-3-5), noon, Friday
Championship: 4 p.m., Saturday
Class 5A
Colleyville Heritage (23-0-2) vs. Hendrickson (21-3-2), 9:30 a.m., Thursday
Frisco Wakeland (24-0-2) vs. Rouse (20-4-3), noon, Thursday
Championship: 11 a.m., Saturday
You can find the full schedule here.
5 Austin-area players to watch
Kate Grannis, Westlake, senior forward
The future Virginia Tech Hokie has been the fire for the Chaparrals’ offense and scored both goals in last week’s regional final.
Kaylee McKinley, Hendrickson, junior forward
Hendrickson‘s leading scorer has scored in every playoff match, including netting three goals in the regional tournament. McKinley has 25 goals on the season.
Kylie Snell, Rouse, sophomore midfielder
One of four players on the Raiders roster with 15 goals, Snell has a team-high 21 assists and leads Rouse with 51 points.
Sophia Martin, Westlake, sophomore goalkeeper
Martin has 10 clean sheets this season, including two last weekend’s regional tournament. The sophomore has only given up three goals in Westlake’s last eight matches.
Brea Lewis, Hendrickson, freshman, forward
The newcomer has had a remarkable freshman season, leading the Hawks with 53 points (21 goals and a team-high 11 assists).
Austin-area teams at state
Class 6A
Westlake Chaparrals
Record: 16-4-2
The road to Georgetown: def. Westwood 2-1; San Antonio Johnson 3-1; Lake Travis 2-1; Harlingen 3-0; San Antonio Taft 2-0
State tournament appearances: 4 (2024, 2022, 2007,1996)
State championships: none
Notable: Westlake players likely don’t’ consider themselves a playoff Cinderella, but the Chaps weren’t on anyone’s radar going into the playoffs. In fact, Westlake sat in sixth place with their playoff hopes looking bleak midway through the district schedule. As the No. 3 seed in District 26-6A, the Chaps had one of the toughest paths to the state tournament. One by one, Westlake has knocked off every team no one expected them to beat. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Chaps reach the state final on Saturday.
Class 5A
Hendrickson Hawks
Record: 21-3-2
The road to Georgetown: def. Ann Richards 7-0; Belton 2-0; A&M Consolidated 1-0; Port Neches-Groves 1-0; Georgetown 3-2
State tournament appearances: 2 (2024, 2017)
State championships: 1 (2017 6A)
Notable: Hendrickson has the pedigree, and the only state championship among the three Austin-area teams playing in this weekend’s state tournament. The Hawks’ only two blemishes in District 23-5A were to Georgetown, which included a 0-0 tie and a 1-0 loss. Hendrickson finally put the Eagles away when it mattered most in the Region III-5A championship. The Hawks didn’t give up a goal in the playoffs until the regional final, which was the first time in seven games.
Rouse Raiders
Record: 20-4-3
The road to Georgetown: def. New Braunfels Canyon 1-0; San Antonio Southwest 7-0; Cedar Park 2-1; McAllen 3-0; Leander 3-0
State tournament appearances: 2 (2024, 2017)
State championships: none
Notable: The Raiders road to the state tournament is very similar to Westlake’s. The Raiders finished second in a competitive 25-5A with its only loss coming against rival Leander, the team Rouse beat 3-0 in the Region IV-5A final. The Raiders playoff road was met with challenge after challenge, including four ranked teams. One of them was No. 1 McAllen in the regional semifinals. Rouse has the toughest draw in the state tournament – three-time state champion Frisco Wakeland. However, look at the resume of opponents in the Raiders’ 11-game winning streak and they may not be that big of an underdog.