By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
There was a little extra celebrating going on after the Pace Lady Vikings won their District 32-5A soccer game Tuesday at Edcouch-Elsa.
In addition to feeling good about an impressive 2-1 road victory against the Lady Yellowjackets, the Pace girls were happy because they clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the Lady Vikings last advanced to the postseason in 2011.
And the celebration wasn’t limited exclusively to the girls team. The Pace boys also clinched a playoff spot the same night.
None of the players on the Lady Vikings roster has experienced the playoffs before, so the girls are pretty excited about what lies ahead after they complete their 32-5A schedule at home against PSJA Southwest at 8 p.m. Friday.
“This is an amazing experience for me,” said Vivian Barrera, a senior forward and two-year starter. “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 7, and getting to the playoffs has always been like a dream for me. We didn’t really go far when I was a freshman, sophomore or junior, so this means the world to me now.
“It’s a dream come true,” Barrera added. “These are the moments we’re going to remember for the rest of our lives.”
There are four teams bunched together behind league champion Donna North (12-1, 35 points) in the 32-5A standings, and only three of them are advancing to the playoffs. Now that the Pace girls (9-4, 27 points) know their postseason ticket has been punched, the other three teams battling for two available playoff spots are Porter, PSJA Southwest and E-E.
The Lady Vikings have been fairly solid throughout the second round of district with five of seven matches at home, including Friday’s game against PSJA Southwest. The Pace girls have won five of six second-round district games, the only loss being a 2-1 setback against Donna North on Feb. 27.
“We celebrated (Tuesday), and now we’re back to being serious,” Pace coach Jesus O. Villarreal said at Wednesday’s practice. “We’re mentally preparing ourselves for Southwest. It’s a game we want to win. We’re going to go all out because we want to keep on winning.
“Yes, we’re in the playoffs and that gives us confidence, but at the same time we have another game coming up and district is not over, and we want to end (the regular season) in a positive way,” Villarreal added.
There’s a sense of satisfaction for the second-year coach.
“The feeling I have (taking this team to the playoffs) is that one of our objectives has been accomplished,” Villarreal said. “These girls have blossomed in so many ways. My feeling is everything we’re doing is paying off, and that’s satisfying. But it’s not over yet. We’ve got to keep on going, keep on rolling forward.”
The Lady Vikings boast a unified mix of players from freshmen to seniors.
There are forwards and midfielders that include Barrera, Zucely Gomez, Kryssie Rivera, Jo Ann Sanchez, Hania Davila, Krysta Grayson, Nathalie Covarrubias, Litzy Aleman, Leslie Amador and Alma Perez plus defenders Ashley Galvan, Amanda Morales, Daniela Perez, Ashley Zapata, Jennifer Galvan and Erika Martinez. Valeria Varela is the goalkeeper.
“It’s amazing to see how our team has grown together,” said Gomez, a senior midfielder/forward who participates in multiple school activities, including cheerleading. “We’ve been through thick and thin together, and finally we can say that we’ve made it to the playoffs.
“I love this team because I see that our hard work and dedication has paid off,” Gomez added. “We just want to keep moving forward and have fun together. It’s an amazing feeling and I love it.”
Added Davila, a junior midfielder and three-year starter, “We were really happy (after Tuesday’s game) and we started screaming and jumping and we were excited. We’re thankful for all the support we’re getting. This is really good because it’s motivating us and building up our self esteem. It’s a very good experience, and we just want to keep going.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.