Episcopal School of Acadiana reached the Division IV girls soccer semifinals last season as a No. 11 seed, and the Falcons are primed to make another run when the brackets are released on Tuesday.
The Falcons (11-3-4) have been dominant this season, scoring almost five goals a game while allowing less than one. They have defeated seven opponents – four of the last five – by the mercy rule.
Anna Breaux, Grace Pellegrin and Briley Herpin have accounted for 70 of the team’s 83 goals. Breaux, who led the team in scoring last season, has 36 goals and 8 assists, followed by Pellegrin (22 goals, 10 assists) and Herpin (13 goals, 5 assists).
“Anna has great speed,” Falcons coach Dione Leger said. “She is relentless when the ball is anywhere around her. Grace is a natural goal-scorer with great technical skills. Briley is great in the air where she wins a lot of balls and is a great distributor.”
Breaux, a junior forward, is within reach of 40 regular-season goals, a benchmark she set as the season progressed. She and Pellegrin combined for more than 40 goals last season.
The Falcons have two sets of twin sisters in juniors Sophia and Claire Lasecki and seventh-graders Audrey and Ella Vige, who have scored six goals with five assists. Sophomore Bailey Guillotte is the younger sister of Taylor Guillotte, a standout from last season who graduated.
Sophia Lasecki, a returning starter at goalkeeper, has shut out eight opponents.
“She’s done a great job,” Leger said. “She hasn’t had a ton of shots come her way, but she’s made good plays when they do.”
Leger said senior defender Irene Kaiser has helped keep opponents at bay with her tremendous speed, which allows her to track down the ball in pursuit.
Reese Brasseaux, Ella Romero, Claire Lasecki and Hailey Britton fortify the Falcons’ defensive wall.
“I can’t say I made the most demanding schedule because I thought we might be rebuilding, but I’ve been really impressed with this team,” Leger said.
“They work very hard. They’re very bright kids who take in everything I give them. We don’t have as much experience as last year, but what we’re lacking, we make up for with grit on the ball.”
Power ratings don’t necessarily mean much when it comes to Division IV.
Last season, no. 4 Ouachita Christian, no. 7 Academy of Sacred Heart-NO, No. 9 Louise McGehee and no. 11 ESA were the final four teams with Sacred Heart winning the title.
ESA, which has one regular season game left on Monday at home against Menard, is ninth in the power ratings.
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