By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
This soccer season has brought its share of new challenges for the Lopez Lady Lobos compared to how things went during their school-best 21-1 district championship campaign of 2014.
The Lopez girls have faced some trying times this season that include adjusting to the loss of key graduated players, narrow district defeats and a season-ending injury to their leading scorer of one year ago, junior forward Christiane Escandon, who had 28 goals.
Yet with all that has happened, the Lady Lobos (8-5, 25 points) are back where they want to be as playoff qualifiers out of a highly competitive District 32-6A. They figure to enter the postseason when the playoffs start March 26 as either the second-, third- or fourth-place team from 32-6A.
The Lopez girls, coming off Tuesday’s 3-2 win in penalty kicks at Harlingen High, are scheduled to close out their district schedule March 20 at Brownsville Veterans Memorial.
“We’ve kept together,” Lady Lobos coach Alex Macias said. “We’ve gone through injuries, we’ve gone through ups and downs as a team with some really hard losses, but we’re still staying together. We’ve known that our priority is to try to get those points and just make it to the playoffs.
““Because of what we did last year every team is coming out trying to beat Lopez, so it’s hard, and it’s been hard on the girls,” Macias added. “But they’re a good group of girls, and they’re sticking together. Everybody’s coming back next year for us but ‘Estellita’ (Leslie Estrella), plus Christiane Escandon will be back, so we have next year (to look forward to), but we still have this year (to do well), too.”
With Estrella at a midfield wing position and Samantha Ruiz at center midfielder, the Lady Lobos have experience and stabilizing presences where they need them most along with Michell Salinas at a central position leading the defense. Carla Gracia, now a sophomore forward, has a bigger role on the offensive attack this season and is getting help scoring goals from from newcomers Jady Ortega and Estrella Espinoza.
Also, Ana Morales is emerging as a solid goalkeeper to replace graduated standout Alondra Barrientos. Other contributing returnees are San Juanita Medina and Gloria Ortegon in the midfield, and Kimberly Hernandez on defense.
Other members of the team are Lilibeth Herrera, Paola Argueta, Maria Cruz, Ana Olivares, Gloria Cruz and Kiara Garcia, a freshman who tallied the game-winning penalty kick Tuesday against Harlingen High.
“We just have to keep working hard, and the key is to have the right mentality,” Leslie Estrella said. “We have to stay focused and have the mentality to go farther, and move on from last year. We want to make our own legacy this season.
“I think we’re hungry (to do well again),” she added. “If we’re going to lose, we’re going to lose fighting to the end. Everyone on this team has the mindset to win. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but we always have our heads up high.”
Through it all, strong bonds of a sisterhood are being formed.
“At the beginning of the season we had our differences (as a new team), but that didn’t stop us from being sisters and family,” Ruiz said. “I’m glad God put us together because I’m very blessed to be with the girls on this team. Everybody puts in their part in practice and the games. Everybody does 110 percent so we won’t lose the game. Yes, we’ve lost some of the games, but we’re still working hard so we won’t lose again. We pick ourselves up, and that’s what I like.
“Our goal was to make it to the playoffs, which we did,” Ruiz added. “But we can’t stop now.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.