The Allen girls soccer team entered this week knowing they could be one win from the playoffs or five days from the season being over.

"Either way, we knew we controlled our destiny all this week," said Kevin Albury, Allen head coach.

The Lady Eagles (3-4-2, 8 points) took the drama out of any potential win-or-go-home game Friday with Plano Senior by dispatching of McKinney, 1-0, to clinch a playoff spot and keep open the possibility of taking the No. 3 seed in 10-5A.

"We had lost three games in a row, so we had to stop the losses," Albury said. "So the discussion was all positive before the game. We were going to win."

Allen couldn't have asked for a better start as McKinney got the kickoff, but the Lady Eagles attacked and senior Hailey Jensen got the ball. Jensen pushed it up to junior Chloe Fowler, who tickled the twine 14 seconds into the match for the 1-0 lead.

"It was exciting, but we had to stay controlled and focused on the game plan," Albury said. "We couldn't just try to protect that lead for 79 minutes."

Instead, working out of a 3-5-2 formation, Allen remained aggressive.

"McKinney is a great passing team," Albury said. "So we figured the best form of defense would be a solid attack to limit their time and space."

Among those pushing the ball up the pitch were junior Chantal Kinsey, who dinged up her ankle Monday, and senior Allie Johnson, who played all 80 minutes. After being controlled for the first 20 minutes, McKinney upped its possession and forced the Lady Eagles into a more defensive 4-5-1.

Allen actually used three formations Tuesday, shifting to a 4-4-2 in the second half.

"The sign of a great team is the ability to adjust," Albury said. "And taking on different formations and different roles is what this team is all about."

Before shifting to a 4-4-2, Albury had another message for his team.

"We were heading into our biggest 40 minutes of the season," he said. "So I told the girls to, 'play like you did against Ursuline (a 2-0 victory).' We dominated that match."

Allen succeeded on that front as the visitors got multiple solid looks in the second half. The defense was also up to the task with senior Madison Ledet directing traffic in the back and senior goalkeeper Nicole Limpert keeping a clean sheet.

"It really was a team effort," Albury said.

That team effort gave Allen a 1-0 victory and put the Lady Eagles into the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

"This was a playoff atmosphere and we needed a big performance if we were going to put Allen soccer back on the map, and we got that," Albury said. "I'm very proud of these girls; they deserve this and they deserve to be in the playoffs."

What seed the Lady Eagles take into the postseason depends on Friday's results.

Allen and McKinney (4-5-0) both have eight points with the Lady Eagles holding the tiebreak due to their season sweep of the Lionettes. McKinney is on the road at 7:15 p.m. versus McKinney Boyd while Allen holds its Senior Night at 7:30 p.m. from Ford Middle School against Plano.

Albury said the team won't worry about the McKinney-Boyd result as much as they are concerned with ending the regular season on a high.

"Beating McKinney was a benchmark for our season," he added. "But that doesn't mean we get to sit back now and relax. We feel like this district has prepared us for the playoffs and we aren't just going there for one game, we want to progress to regionals."

Boys falls to McKinney, No. 2 seed still a possibility

While Tuesday's result propelled the Allen girls into the playoffs, their male counterparts dropped a 2-0 decision to the Lions.

McKinney (4-1-4, 12 points) now holds the tiebreaker and a one-point lead over Allen (4-2-3, 11 points) heading into Friday's regular-season finale with the Lions hosting the Broncos at 7:30 p.m. and the Eagles at Clark to face the Wildcats at the same time.

For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @OThankKevin on Twitter.

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