Munstang's Moment

Houston Memorial captures 6A Girls Soccer State Title

Houston Memorial captures 6A Girls Soccer State Title
Houston Memorial becomes the first girls soccer team from Houston to win a state championship since 2010. Vype

GEORGETOWN –Grace Collins netted two goals, Grace Yochum netted a goal, Bella Killgore preserved a shutout and Houston Memorial defeated Lewisville Marcus 3-0 in the Class 6A Girls Soccer State Championship match on Saturday at Birkelbach Field.

"In the offseason we just pushed ourselves, during season we pushed ourselves," Collins said. "We just won the state title, so I'm pretty sure we deserve some respect now."

Houston Memorial (28-0-1) becomes the first girls soccer team from Houston to win a state championship since The Woodlands in 2010.

This marks the seventh girls soccer state title to come to Houston – Kingwood (1995, 1999), Friendswood (2001), Klein Oak (2003), Katy Taylor (2006), The Woodlands (2010) and Memorial (2018).

"We came out of nowhere," Yochum said. "To be the underdog and win it all it's the greatest feeling in the world. I can't thank my friends, my family, my coaches enough for where we are."

Memorial is the first Spring Branch ISD team to win a soccer state championship on the girls or boys side.

Memorial last season didn't make it out of the second round, falling to eventual state champion Pflugerville Hendrickson in penalty kicks.

From that experience and returning 10 of 11 starters, 10th-year Memorial coach Lindley Amarentos believes is what the team needed to go over the top in 2018.

"We knew if (Pflugerville Hendrickson) can do it we can do it," Amarantos said. "We played right along with them and that was just the mantra that pushed us in the offseason, preseason and brought us to this point. These girls are just hard workers and they don't take no."

GEORGETOWN –Grace Collins netted two goals, Grace Yochum netted a goal, Bella Killgore preserved a shutout and Houston Memorial defeated Lewisville Marcus 3-0 in the Class 6A Girls Soccer State Championship match on Saturday at Birkelbach Field.

"In the offseason we just pushed ourselves, during season we pushed ourselves," Collins said. "We just won the state title, so I'm pretty sure we deserve some respect now."

Lewisville Marcus finishes the year 23-4-1.

Grace Yochum didn’t waste any time.

A day after scoring in the first 38 seconds against McAllen in the Class 6A Girls Soccer State Semifinal, Yochum accounted for the early offense again on Saturday.

In the second minute, Yochum broke free to the far side of the field, crossed a shot from 10 yards out sneaking it past Flower Mound Marcus’ Stephanie Starr, making it 1-0.

Just 12 minutes later, Memorial junior Grace Collins – a TCU commit – rocketed a shot from 35 yards out towards the Marcus goal. The ball smashed off the crossbar and came back hitting Starr in the back and then rolling into the net, making it 2-0.

Memorial outshot Marcus 7-4 in the first half.

Collins wasn’t done.

In the 42nd minute, Collins shook two defenders and fired one home from 20 yards out for her second goal of the match, making it 3-0, which would be the final.

Collins was named the Class 6A Girls Soccer Championship game MVP.

Kilgore finished the state tournament posting two shutouts, which gave her four in the playoffs.

Memorial finished the playoffs outscoring opponents 23-3.

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The Astros beat the Phillies, 2-1. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.

Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.

Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.

Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.

Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!

Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.

Key moment

Smith’s RBI.

Key stat

Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.

Up next

The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.

The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).

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