Bears, Parish Meet Again in TAPPS Semis
Ursuline defeated Parish Episcopal in both matchups between the girls soccer rivals during the regular season. But their third meeting will carry significantly higher stakes.
The Bears (22-1) and Panthers (13-4) will clash on Tuesday in a TAPPS 6A state semifinal in Round Rock, with the winner heading to the title game on Wednesday. It will be a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Ursuline claimed in penalty kicks.
Perennial power and defending champion Ursuline topped Parish 2-1 on Jan. 10 and 3-0 on Feb. 8 during TAPPS district play. With an offense led by University of Texas commit Audrey Bryant, the Bears have won their two playoff games by a combined margin of 16-0.
After finishing as the district runner-up, the Panthers (13-4) will make their second straight state tournament appearance and their first under new head coach Kevin Smith. Parish defeated San Antonio Antonian 7-2 in the quarterfinals.
Bishop Lynch and Houston St. Agnes will meet in the other semifinal on Tuesday, marking the second straight year that three of the four semifinalists are from the Dallas area.
