The Bullard Lady Panthers soccer team. (Brandon Ogden/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

CADDO MILLS — Bullard was in the regional finals for the first time looking to punch its ticket to its first state semifinals.

With the game scoreless for more than 71 minutes, Aubrey scored three goals in the final 8:26 to take a 3-0 victory over the Lady Panthers in the Class 2A Division 2 Region 2 final Tuesday night at Ed Locker Stadium.

“Hats off to Bullard,” Aubrey head girls soccer coach Kelli Baker said. “They were well-organized. Their back line kept us in check. Their midfield really took away some of our better players.

Aubrey put pressure on Bullard early, but goalkeeper Cadence Graul and defensive plays by Landrey Bighorse and the rest of the Panthers kept the Lady Chaps off of the board. Bullard created chances later in the first half, but were also unable to score, sending the game to halftime knotted at zero.

Bullard kept shooting in the second half, and Aubrey kept thwarting each try.

Aubrey appeared to score to go-ahead goal with 16:04 remaining, but an offsides was called.

With 8:38 remaining, Brynnlee Bohannon assisted Macy Childers to give Aubrey a 1-0 lead. The Lady panthers then put three shots on goal in less than 30 seconds, but were unable to score the equalizer.

Childers scored twice more — with 2:55 remaining and 1:19 to play — to complete the hat trick. Bohannon and Kali Madden had the assists.

“I think our girls are competitors,” Bullard head girls soccer coach Tiffany Cooksey said. “I think the hard thing is, when they lose, sometimes they don’t know how to deal with it because we had only one loss this year. I told them the fact that we’ve faced adversity the way we have this year has been an amazing thing to be able to even get where we are right now.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to who can put the ball in the back of the net, and they did that. The better team ended up going to the final four. I truly believe they finished stronger than us.”

Bullard lost the season opener 7-0 to A&M Consolidated, which is undefeated and in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals, and then reeled off 20 straight victories before Tuesday night.

The Lady Panthers (20-2) were in the regional finals for the first time and in the fourth round for the first time since 2021 when it took three victories to reach the regional semifinals.

Bullard will lose just one senior — South Carolina-Aiken signee Rylie Graul.

“Rylie has been a phenomenal participant in our program,” Cooksey said. “What’s amazing with her is she’s a puzzle piece in the midfield for sure. And not just as a player, she’s definitely the glue to the team on and off the field as the senior.”

“It has meant so much to me,” Graul said. “Each and every one of those players that I have played with on the field or hung out with off the field has been a true blessing. On the field, I’ve had truly an amazing experience. We made a good run at it this year.”

Along with senior Rylie Graul, Bullard’s roster includes juniors Aubrey Kuechle, Ella Roddy, Nydia Sledge, Anna Sowers, Niyah Gee, Paige Barrett and Elli Wildt; sophomores Cadence Graul, Alexis Flynn, Kaelyn Stripling, Shiloh Koelpin, Mollie Carlile, Landrey Bighorse, Charley Whitehead and Conleigh Waldrop; and freshmen Addison Cooksey and Gabriella Bruno.

Aubrey (18-3) advances to face Canyon Randall in the state semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday at Bulldog Stadium in Burkburnett.