By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Put Alondra Lopez on the soccer field, and she plays well at all positions.
Los Fresnos’ standout senior, who has experience playing mostly on defense at stopper along with various times spent playing at forward and in the midfield, is The Brownsville Herald’s 2020 All-Metro Girls Soccer Utility Player of the Year.
It’s an honor that Lopez, a four-year member of the varsity, truly appreciates.
“That (award) is very cool, and I consider it a huge accomplishment,” said Lopez, who has started for the Lady Falcons for two years now. “I do remember that ever since I started playing in seventh grade, my coach would put me at several positions and I would just try my best and give it my all.
“On defense I’ve learned that I need to know my next move and where to place the ball (when passing to a teammate),” she added. “I think that’s one thing every soccer player should have — an idea of what they’re going to do next with the ball.”
Los Fresnos coach Diego Luna is grateful for Lopez’s contributions to his squad.
“Alondra is a player that quietly leads a team to success,” he said. “As a captain, she has been my go-to player throughout the season. Whenever the team needed someone to step into a position, I knew Alondra would be able to step into it and lead our girls. Her ability to play multiple positions and excel in each one makes her an indispensable player.
“Aside from being a threat in various positions, Alondra is a leader off the field, too,” he added. “She always made sure the girls were together, informed and ready for the next battle. This soccer season we had multiple injuries leading into district, which forced me to make lineup adjustments.
“Alondra started the season as a center midfielder, but due to player injuries, she played all defensive positions and at forward, too. As a forward, Alondra became our goal scorer in crucial district games. Alondra being named All-Metro Utility Player of the year is most deserving.”
The Lady Falcons won their final six District 32-6A games to finish second behind Harlingen South with a 7-3 record and 20 points. They are 18-7-1 overall.
Lopez said her team rebounded and came together after dropping three of its first four district matches.
“Our girls never gave up, no matter what obstacle we had in our path,” she said. “We would talk about how things needed to change, and we kept pushing and pushing. The girls worked hard, and we always had hope.
“Playing for the Lady Falcons has been a dream come true.”
The standout utility player appreciates the guidance she has received from her coaches.
“I want to thank Coach Luna and (former) Coach (Patricia) Hernandez, who was my varsity coach for three years (prior to Coach Luna),” Lopez said. “Coach Hernandez kept after me and helped me become better than I was when I first started playing on the varsity.
“Both of them push me and help me still to this day,” Lopez added. “They’ve pushed me to be better than I am. Coach Luna asked me back in seventh grade if I wanted to take playing soccer seriously. My goal was always to be on the varsity.
“I would just like to give a big shoutout to my teammates, because without them, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.”
Luna said his standout player’s future is bright.
“It’s been a pleasure to witness Alondra’s growth as a player, but most importantly, as a young woman,” he said. “There is no doubt Alondra will have a tremendous impact in her future endeavors.”