McALLEN — Melanie Saldaña was mired with a decision looming that needed to be made. It was the beginning of her senior season for the McAllen High girls soccer team and the question of whether or not to continue playing soccer at the next level remained.
“I was unsure about playing, and didn’t decide until a couple months back,” Saldaña said.
Her decision was Southwestern University’s gain.
Saldaña, a game-changing defender and midfielder that was the soul of the Bulldogs, signed her national letter of intent Tuesday in front of family, teammates, friends and more to play for the Pirates, an NCAA Div. III university that plays in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Saldaña controlled the field for the 21-1 Bulldogs, who advanced to the Region IV-5A semifinals, also known as the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs moniker on her shirt couldn’t have been a better fit for the midfielder/defender as she took on the biggest assignments and quieted the most explosive scorers every game.
But it almost never became a reality.
“I actually didn’t decide (to play in college) until a couple of months back,” Saldaña said. “But it really had to do with the McHi girls this year. They motivated me so much and gave me reassurance that I should continue playing at the next level and that I was a great player, even though I do have a lot of self doubt. They were there for me and they boosted my confidence so I wasn’t ready to quit it all.”
While Saldaña struggled with the decision, her teammates continued to rely on her to run the show for the powerhouse Bulldogs, whose M.O. all season was to control the tempo, control possession and, for the most part, control their opponents. Saldaña was a key piece in that plan.
During a tight first-round playoff matchup against Edcouch-Elsa, Saldaña asked head coach Patrick Arney if she could just talk to her teammates.
“She said, ‘We just need to talk together,’” Arney said. “She brought them together and showed her desire — real desire — it dawned on her and the other seniors that this could be it. It was just great to see.”
“Melanie has been the best teammate the past three years that I’ve been here,” said junior teammate Mallory Henderson, who led the Bulldogs in goals scored. “She has taught me so much about the game and how to be a better person on and off the field. She’s a great motivator and fires up everybody on the field.”
That’s precisely what her plan was during the season’s final game, a 4-0 loss to Cedar Park. Down at the half, Saldaña received a yellow card for a tackle. She came out of the game for a short time and returned with such renewed vigor that Arney moved her forward to give McHi a spark. Despite not scoring, it was clear that new life was breathed into the team and the Bulldogs went immediately on the attack.
“It was … an exciting moment,” Saldaña said. “It was more of a like a wake up call for us. It woke me up as soon I got back out there — we weren’t going to be done yet and I wanted to give it my all to the very last push.”
Saldaña is not a stranger to the offensive side of the field, playing that as a freshman and some with her club teams, Arney said.
“I think she showed exactly what type of passion she had,” Arney said. “It was a close game at that point and she had a couple chances right off the bat. She gave us a little more speed up front and a good leg. It helped spread their defense a bit.”
