SPRING SPORTS: Soccer teams find success through building skills

McAlester girls soccer is knocking out accomplishments this season.

The Lady Buffaloes are 6-4 on the season, which included a five game win streak. Last season the team won five games and going into this year they wanted to exceed that total by at least one more game.

By April 2, just eight games into the season, they accomplished their goal. Once McAlester hit the six game waypoint, it was time to move the goal posts, coach Ashley Todd said.

“We look at the standings, we look at our wins and losses, we look at what we can do better, what we can do to succeed and we just find another little goal that we want to accomplish and we search for that goal and we do, we just keep moving on and find another one,” Todd said. “It’s goal after goal.”

It’s not just wins where the Lady Buffaloes look for success.

McAlester lost to Bishop Kelley 3-0 on April 7 but the Lady Buffaloes view it as a win.

“That’s the fewest points they’ve scored against us in a few years actually and the girls were just ecstatic about that, they were super happy. They connected as a team, they lost as a team but it was a good loss for them,” Todd said. “It was a win in their hearts that game.”

On a team mixed with upper and lowerclassmen, freshman Parker Cochran has been a steady presence in the midfield. Cochran has put in the work day in and day out this season.

“She just seems to never give up and wherever the ball is, that’s where she is and she fights her hardest every single game,” Todd said. “I don’t think she’s ever had a sub in any of our games because she’s just that needed in the midfield and she puts in work and she doesn’t ever complain or cry about it, she just knows what she has to do and she does it.”

The boys team currently sits at 5-6 on the season and are on a three game losing streak as of Thursday morning. The streak began with a close game against Nathan Hale, which went through two overtime periods before being settled 3-2 in penalty kicks.

Since the overtime loss, the Buffaloes have lost to Bishop Kelley 5-0 and Edison Prep 5-1. McAlester’s wins have come over Muskogee 2-1, Heavener 6-2, Grove, 3-2, Cleveland 3-2 and McClain 5-2.

McAlester plays again Tuesday at Durant. The girls’ game begins at 5 p.m. and the boys’ game begins at 7 p.m.