By SCOTT W. COLEMAN, Four Points News
The Vandegrift girls soccer team last weekend won the Austin area’s first-ever UIL girls soccer championship in a 1-0 victory over Wylie East at Georgetown’s Birkelbach Field. It was the first team athletic title for Vandegrift and the second for a Leander ISD school. Cedar Park’s football team won the Class 4A football state title in 2012.

Lady Vipers hold the 4A state trophy in front of loyal fans after winning the championship game on Saturday. This is the first team athletic title for Vandegrift.
Photo by Scott W. Coleman
Junior midfielder Kyndal Howard scored the lone goal in Saturday’s championship game on a header with 2:30 remaining in regulation. Howard also scored the game-winning penalty kick in Friday afternoon’s 2-1 shootout (5-3 penalty kicks) semifinal victory over Northwest Nelson.
Howard was named the championship game’s MVP. On Sunday, the UIL announced that Howard, along with senior goalkeeper Mariah Lechner, sophomore Cassidy Cavanaugh and freshman Kelly Flynn had been named to the Class 4A Girls UIL Soccer State All-Tournament Team.
Both Friday afternoon’s semifinal win over Northwest Nelson and Saturday’s title game victory looked a lot like Vandegrift’s other postseason wins. The Lady Vipers won a shootout over Cedar Park in the regional quarterfinal, and went into overtime to defeat Rouse in the regional title game.
“That’s the kind of thing that shows the strength of girls soccer in this area,” said LISD athletic director Chris Ross on Saturday. “And it’s only going to get better.” Continue reading