Five days after upsetting rival Dripping Springs 1-0 in the Sectional Championship, Lake Travis (19-4-2) couldn’t do the same to Boerne Champion in the regional quarterfinal – but it was close.

Tied 1-1 after regulation and overtime, the teams were forced into a shootout, which the Lady Chargers won on the final kick.

“Shootouts are tough,” Lake Travis head coach Jeff Gamble said. “I think our advantage in this game was our tempo and our fitness level because their advantage is skill. I don’t think they’re as deep or in as good of shape as we are. But the problem with the shootout is that the team that’s more skilled will always have the advantage. So our complete game plan went out the window. It’s like rolling the dice.”

For 100 minutes, Lake Travis had a clear advantage, dominating possession, pursuit of 50/50 balls and shots on goal. It caught Champion by surprise, but it got a reprieve when it was time for the shootout.

“I secretly feared this moment,” Gamble said. “We really pushed in overtime to get that go-ahead goal because I do think we entered the shootout at a disadvantage. But that’s how it goes.”

The Lady Cavs took a 1-0 lead into halftime, thanks to a shot by Stephanie Lara from just inside midfield that was mishandled by the Champion goalkeeper and bounced into the side netting.

It seemed at the time that luck was on Lake Travis’ side, but afterward, it looked a lot different.

“I don’t know how much of an omen we had on our side because yes, that ball went in, but how many times did we get a direct look inside the six and not be able to pull it off?” Gamble said. “It happened to everyone tonight. I was telling them at halftime that we put those balls away all the time without a problem against the weaker teams we play and that we could do it here, but with the pressure of a playoff game, everything narrows and we couldn’t put the ball away.”

And in the end, it cost them.

“I told them that I hoped those missed opportunities didn’t come back to haunt us,” Gamble said. “And they did.”

Champion tied the game on a penalty kick in the second half. It sent Lake Travis into a periodic spiral, but it regrouped in time for the extra periods.

“I think we had a period where, after we gave up the goal, they sort of went into flux,” Gamble said. “But I think we gained the advantage back just before overtime. It’s just what happens when you give up a goal to tie the game – it takes something out of you. I was just worried because we were wasting time. We were playing balls that didn’t need to be played and I was really pushing them to refocus.”

Time after time, the Lady Cavs closed in on goal, but every time, shots just missed their target. It left the team exhausted and crushed when the game ended.

“I don’t know what to say after these losses because I don’t ever envision losing,” Gamble said. “So I never have anything prepared. I try not to look like a fool by crying because you’ve been together with some of the girls for four years. It’s such a wonderful experience and it has to end, and that’s the saddest thing.”

As it ends, the Lady Cavs say goodbye to seniors Rachel Burdick, Andie Stone, Dacia Burill, Katie Govett and Wyoming Kaut.

“It’s a tremendous amount of leadership we’re losing,” Gamble said. “They’re extremely vocal and they reiterate my messages in games, in the weight room and on the practice field. It’s going to be impossible to replace that leadership. I think we have great skill coming up to replace those players, but there’s great void in leadership.”

Edging out Dripping Springs

They hardly had time to enjoy it, but Lake Travis’ 1-0 win over Dripping Springs in the Sectional Championship will still go down as one of the more prominent wins in the last decade.

The Lady Tigers were favored heading into the match and held a much higher ranking both before and throughout the season, but couldn’t seem to break through the Lake Travis defense.

A penalty kick converted by Emma Jones midway through the first half was all the Lady Cavs needed as the defensive wall smothered a skilled Dripping Springs team.

“Coach Gamble told us it had been 364 games since Dripping Springs had beaten us to knock us out of the playoffs, and that’s something that really hit home with all of us,” Stone said. “It was definitely devastating, and we stepped into this game with the drive to get the job done. Everything Coach Gamble told us to do, we took to heart. These are 20 of my best friends and we did this together, and that means so much.”