By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
New coach. Same players. Continued success.
That pretty much describes how the 2015 soccer season is going for the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles.
There’s been a period of transition as the players learn to adapt to first-year coach Jose Morales and vice versa, but it hasn’t prevented the second-place Lady Eagles from posting a 9-2 record with 26 points in a very competitive District 32-6A. They trail district leader Harlingen South (9-2, 27 points) by only one point with their next game scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday at home against the Lady Hawks.
While the Hanna girls boast a talented roster of underclassmen, particularly juniors, Morales said the contributions of his three senior starters, all on the defensive end, have meant quite a bit in helping the team embrace his style of play.
The seniors are sweeper Maddy Brama, stopper Jenny Maldonado and goalkeeper Amanda Alaniz.
“Those girls are the core of the team, I would say, and we’ve been depending on them a lot,” said Morales, whose squad rotates its captains from game to game. “They’ve continuously been leaders on the field for us and have served as captains several times. More than that, they are the ones who are more mature and have been more vocal (in leading the team). Since I came in as the new coach, they’re the ones who have been making the connection between myself and their teammates.
“The transition hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve been able to sit down and talk things out, and our seniors have helped a lot with the process,” he added. “(All of) our girls are very genuine, very intelligent and that’s a plus for the team.”
Each of the three seniors appreciates being an integral part of the team.
“To know that I’ve spent all four years with such talented groups of players, that’s just wonderful to me,” said Brama, a three-year starter at sweeper. “It’s been a great opportunity.
“I try to keep everyone calm during the games and help everybody keep a positive vibe,” she added. “I just want to be there for the girls if they’re having trouble or anything, to be a friend mostly, and be a good example for the team.”
Maldonado echoed Brama’s sentiments.
“It’s very bittersweet because we (seniors) have grown so close to the girls over the course of four years,” said Maldonado, a two-year starter. “To be this close to the end of the season and to know we won’t be playing with them at Hanna again is very sad, but it’s also a joyous thing because we’ve come together so much. I feel we’re a very good team and that we’ll progress together as we get closer to the playoffs. Yes, it’s bittersweet, but it’s something that happens.”
Along with the others, Alaniz is doing her part as a senior leader.
A four-year starter at goalkeeper, Alaniz is coming off one of her best games of the season. On Tuesday, during the Lady Eagles’ 2-1 road victory in penalty kicks against the Lopez Lady Lobos, Alaniz stopped a penalty kick during regulation to preserve her team’s 1-0 lead, and later, when the match went to penalties tied at 1 after 20 minutes of scoreless overtime, she blocked two Lopez attempts to help her team prevail 3-1 in PKs.
“It felt great (to stop those shots), and I knew I had my team behind me,” said Alaniz, who will be playing college soccer next fall at the University of Houston-Victoria. “I knew it was not just me because my team was helping me all the way.
“It’s everybody from the forwards to the defense,” she added. “I just want to thank them for always having my back. And for the ones who missed their penalties, I have their back all the time as well. I want them to never forget that I’m always going to be there.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.