By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
The Pace Lady Vikings are enjoying their most successful back-to-back seasons of girls soccer with a pair of District 32-5A championships.
Yet, their ambitions go beyond just winning district.
The Lady Vikings advanced three rounds in the Class 5A playoffs one year ago. Their goal is to go at least that far in the playoffs this season.
“This is a very good team because we have a lot of communication and we show up to play,” said Paloma Zamora, a sophomore midfielder for the Lady Vikings. “We support each other in our games.
“We’re expecting to win our next (area-round) game,” she added. “We want to keep going (in the playoffs). We’re motivated, and we’re playing as a team.”
After defeating PSJA Memorial 1-0 in bi-district last Thursday, the Lady Vikings (23-8-3) are set to play their second-round game at 6 p.m. today against District 29-5A runner-up Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. The match is scheduled to take place at Raymondville’s Burnett Stadium, but if it is determined this morning that the natural grass field in Raymondville is too wet to be used, the game will be moved to Calallen and still start at 6 p.m.
The Lady Vikings are making memories as they go along.
“It’s really going to be memorable playing for this team,” said Jovana Rodriguez, a senior central defender for the Lady Vikings. “In college and in later years I’m going to look back and think about how great it was playing on this team. The trips we take, the bonding together and the communication we have, it’s all great.
“I believe in us, and I think we have the potential to go three rounds or more,” Rodriguez added. “I hope our girls never give up and just go for it (now in the postseason). I believe we will succeed.”
Added teammate Kenia Galvan, a junior central defender, “It feels great to spend a lot of my time playing my favorite sport with the ones on this team, and it’s great to have Coach (Jesus O.) Villarreal as our coach. He’s very understanding with us. He does a great job.”
Against PSJA Memorial, the Pace girls benefited from an ‘autogol,’ which wound up deciding the game. It came on a strong kick by Zamora from the left side during the first half that bounced off the pole. On the play, the ball was knocked in as the goalkeeper and a defender tried to clear it.
Now the Lady Vikings are going against Flour Bluff again in the area round. Pace defeated Flour Bluff 4-1 last year at Raymondville in the second round.
“Every game from here and going forward is going to be a tough game,” Villarreal said. “It’s expected. We did what we had practiced in our bi-district game. We didn’t score (more) like we had planned, but we had 12 shots on goal in the first half.
“I congratulate every one of our players (for the bi-district win),” he added. “Every single one of the players who was there for us was one piece of the whole pie. Our defense was very solid the entire game, and things got very intense toward the end.
“We got what we deserved, and here we are going to the second round.”
A key player for Pace in the bi-district shutout was goalkeeper Jennifer Oliveira, a senior who is coming off last year’s ACL injury.
“I’ve known a lot of these girls for most of my life, and what we’re doing is amazing,” Oliveira said. “It’s just fun to get to play with them one last time as a senior before we go off to college.
“We have some great players and we’re just great friends,” she added. “I don’t think anyone has a bond like we have. It’s just amazing.”
Added teammate Arianna Garcia, a senior midfielder and four-year member of the varsity, “I’m very fortunate to have the chance to play with the girls on this team, especially since I was a freshman. Throughout the years our unity has just gotten stronger. We’ve stayed determined, and we’re just ready to keep going in the playoffs.
“We’ve gone up against some challenges, especially in the preseason with some losses,” she added. “Now we’re showing our potential and our strengths. We all have different strengths, and that’s what helps us come together and be successful at the end of the day.”