MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – Having played their inaugural season in 2023, victory had remained elusive for the Maxwell girls’ soccer team in the 13 subsequent matches since its inception.
Yet all that changed last Monday at home after a strong second half lifted the Panthers to a 5-1 triumph over Durham, for the first win in team history.
Shelby Dunlap put Maxwell on top when she made good on a breakaway late in the first half, but the lead was short-lived as the Trojans converted a penalty kick to knot the score at one, just seconds before intermission.
However, after the second half kickoff, the Panthers quickly took control of the match after Emma Hendrix scored in the 43rd minute, then struck again two minutes later to give her team a 3-1 advantage.
Building on that momentum, Mia Gonzalez added on in the 49th minute, before Hendrix completed the hat trick, scoring for a third time in the 64th minute.
Maxwell followed up on Saturday playing Williams to a 2-2 draw, although no other information was provided.
Regular season play concluded this week for the Panthers, who traveled to Paradise to face the Bobcats on Feb. 5, before making the short drive to McCarl Field in Williams on Feb. 8 for a rematch with the Yellowjackets.