GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — With her McAllen High team needing one last penalty kick to put away McAllen Memorial, Jackie Lemus finally had the chance to get out of the net.
The District 30-6A Newcomer of the Year last season as a center midfielder, Lemus is taking one for the team in 2016, filling a need at goalkeeper.
But after making a pair of saves to limit Memorial to just two makes in five attempts, Lemus returned to a scoring roll, moving out of goal and drilling McAllen High’s final penalty kick to lift the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-1 (3-2 in PKs) win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It was a really tense game, and I felt really proud of the team and myself,” Lemus said. “I was really glad that my team was confident in me. That made me feel more motivated to play better, and I did.”
Lemus finished last season with 10 goals and 21 assists, thriving in her role reading the game and starting McHi’s counter attack. But with a talented group of freshmen ready to fill in up front, coach Pat Arney wanted Lemus to play on the back end, especially against a Lady Mustangs team that had scored 11 goals in three district games after pouring in a Valley-best 63 last season.
“Coach said they needed me, and all the players knew me and told me I could do it,” Lemus said. “At first I didn’t like it. I wanted to play the field. But I said, ‘I’ll do it for the team, not just for me.’”
Lemus made one key save during the first half, added two more on long shots in the second and stifled numerous Memorial attempts to get a score off crosses and corner kicks.
In penalties, she made one stop leaning to her right and stuffed another that came at her straight on. The situation was a comfortable one for Lemus, who has been in net for McHi’s two previous shootout wins this district season.
“We’re having Jackie back at goal, which I know she hates, but she’s just so good,” Arney said. “You can see the confidence just ooze from her. She knows what to do, and she just settles the whole team down. It’s nice to have her back there. We really appreciate that.”
Lemus said she’s played three years as a goalkeeper and three years in the field, so taking McAllen High’s final penalty wasn’t anything out of the norm.
“I was really calm,” Lemus said. “I was really confident with myself, so it wasn’t really that tough.”
The teams played back and forth throughout regulation, trading chances on counterattacks.
Senior defender Gabby Gonzalez broke the initial deadlock for the Lady Bulldogs with 12:36 to play in the first half, taking control of a loose ball near the top of the box and tucking it just under the crossbar.
“I quickly looked up and saw that the goalie was to one side, so I tried to aim to the other side,” Gonzalez said. “Luckily, it just ended up going in.”
McAllen Memorial answered less than a minute later when Jackie Quintero converted a penalty kick after a questionable call on a handball in the box.
But the Lady Mustangs could never crack Lemus again, ending an undefeated start to District 30-6A play. McAllen High moves to 5-0 and is the league’s only remaining unbeaten.
“I think we definitely had our chances and should’ve won the game,” McAllen Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “I’m not disappointed. Like I told the girls, the effort was there. They played hard the whole game.”
View video of Jackie Lemus scoring the game-winning penalty kick for McAllen High.
SUGHED: Lemus’ move to keeper helps McAllen High beat McAllen Memorial
BY GREG LUCA
STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — With her McAllen High team needing one last penalty kick to put away McAllen Memorial, Jackie Lemus finally had the chance to get out of the net.
The District 30-6A Newcomer of the Year last season as a center midfielder, Lemus is taking one for the team in 2016, filling a need at goalkeeper.
But after making a pair of saves to limit Memorial to just two makes in five attempts, Lemus returned to a scoring roll, moving out of goal and drilling McAllen High’s final penalty kick to lift the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-1 (3-2 in PKs) win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It was a really tense game, and I felt really proud of the team and myself,” Lemus said. “I was really glad that my team was confident in me. That made me feel more motivated to play better, and I did.”
Lemus finished last season with 10 goals and 21 assists, thriving in her role reading the game and starting McHi’s counter attack. But with a talented group of freshmen ready to fill in up front, coach Pat Arney wanted Lemus to play on the back end, especially against a Lady Mustangs team that had scored 11 goals in three district games after pouring in a Valley-best 63 last season.
“Coach said they needed me, and all the players knew me and told me I could do it,” Lemus said. “At first I didn’t like it. I wanted to play the field. But I said, ‘I’ll do it for the team, not just for me.’”
Lemus made one key save during the first half, added two more on long shots in the second and stifled numerous Memorial attempts to get a score off crosses and corner kicks.
In penalties, she made one stop leaning to her right and stuffed another that came at her straight on. The situation was a comfortable one for Lemus, who has been in net for McHi’s two previous shootout wins this district season.
“We’re having Jackie back at goal, which I know she hates, but she’s just so good,” Arney said. “You can see the confidence just ooze from her. She knows what to do, and she just settles the whole team down. It’s nice to have her back there. We really appreciate that.”
Lemus said she’s played three years as a goalkeeper and three years in the field, so taking McAllen High’s final penalty wasn’t anything out of the norm.
“I was really calm,” Lemus said. “I was really confident with myself, so it wasn’t really that tough.”
The teams played back and forth throughout regulation, trading chances on counterattacks.
Senior defender Gabby Gonzalez broke the initial deadlock for the Lady Bulldogs with 12:36 to play in the first half, taking control of a loose ball near the top of the box and tucking it just under the crossbar.
“I quickly looked up and saw that the goalie was to one side, so I tried to aim to the other side,” Gonzalez said. “Luckily, it just ended up going in.”
McAllen Memorial answered less than a minute later when Jackie Quintero converted a penalty kick after a questionable call on a handball in the box.
But the Lady Mustangs could never crack Lemus again, ending an undefeated start to District 30-6A play. McAllen High moves to 5-0 and is the league’s only remaining unbeaten.
“I think we definitely had our chances and should’ve won the game,” McAllen Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “I’m not disappointed. Like I told the girls, the effort was there. They played hard the whole game.”