BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — The McAllen High girls soccer team returns eight starters from a group that made the regional quarterfinals last year, but it was a pair of freshmen who provided the scoring in Thursday’s season opener.
Hannah Kelly and Zoe Flores — two of five freshmen to start for the Lady Bulldogs — found the back of the net as McAllen High took down Brownsville Hanna 2-0 to open the McHi Showcase.
The Lady Bulldogs hope the mix of proven assets and talented newcomers can lift the team to another playoff run.
“To integrate all of them and kind of work as a unit, it takes a little bit of time,” senior Gabby Gonzalez said. “But it’s actually been really fast how we’ve connected. We still have a long season ahead of us to just continue bonding.”
Freshmen Miranda Muñoz, Emily Gurwitz and Geraldine Cadena were also in the starting lineup Thursday, and coach Pat Arney said he was happy with the play of the new class.
The biggest challenge, he said, is getting everyone on the same page and used to the speed of the game. The Lady Bulldogs welcome players from four different club teams, meaning they’re used to different systems and styles of play.
“For sure this year, we’re getting a lot better in communication and getting along with each other,” junior Quetzal Toren said. “I know the past few years we’ve had a lot of girl problems. I think this year, we’re all kind of the same age and have all played with each other, so we all know our chemistry.”
Now a junior, Toren is doing her part to facilitate that chemistry. On Thursday, Toren shouted to Flores to keep her from slipping offsides, ensuring that she could score McHi’s second goal via breakaway without the referee waving off the play.
“The maturity is really coming along,” Arney said. “That’s great to see.”
Toren has proven herself as the centerpiece of McHi’s offense, scoring 18 goals last season after notching 19 as a freshman in 2014 to earn All-Valley Newcomer of the Year.
She said she comes back this season with more speed and higher aspirations: 25 goals, a top-5 rank on McHi’s all-time scoring list, and postseason honors.
“I’m a junior, so I’m not sure if I’ll reach it, but I really want to be All-Valley MVP,” Toren said.
Gonzalez is the Lady Bulldogs’ leader on defense and one of just three seniors on the team. She excels at throw-ins and long balls with her strong leg, but is also taking steps to direct the younger players from her position at the back of the formation. On defense, she plays alongside a freshman in Muñoz and a converted wing in Cari Guerra.
“It’s really new, and we’ve adjusted really well, and we’re working really well,” Gonzalez said. “Especially because we all know each other before starting the season, so we had that connection there.”
The blend of experienced returners and promising freshmen has created competition across the board for McAllen High.
Arney saw significant rust and “silly” mistakes on Thursday, problems he hopes to wipe away in the weeks before District 30-6A play begins.
“They know if they’re not doing well and they’re not working hard, they might not be playing. So they have to work harder,” Arney said. “That’s the best thing.”
Hanna ran into some of the same problems as McAllen High on Thursday, with five freshmen in the starting lineup. Coach Jose Morales said the lack of experience was the main concern, and it resulted in a bevy of turnovers.
The Lady Golden Eagles are without returning All-Metro MVP Natalie Gonzalez, who had a boot on her right foot and is out indefinitely due to injury.
“She might be back by the beginning of the season, might be back by the half and maybe not at all. She’s in limbo right now,” Morales said. “She’s our go-to girl up top. We miss her a lot. She’s the one that converted goals last year.”