By ROY HESS | THE BROWNVSVILLE HERALD
RAYMONDVILLE — The Pace Lady Vikings are advancing to the third round of the Class 5A state soccer playoffs for the second straight year.
The Lady Vikings scored all four of their goals during the first half in defeating Flour Bluff 4-1 Tuesday in the area round of the playoffs at Raymondville’s Burnett Stadium.
“It was very tiring, but accomplishing,” said Alma Perez, a senior center midfielder for Pace, of the victory. “We’re actually kind of happy because Flour Bluff beat us 4-2 last year (in the third round of the playoffs), so we’re proud of this win.”
Kryssie Rivera and Alexis Guajardo each scored a pair of goals during the initial 40 minutes to highlight the Pace victory.
“I think we really put our hearts into the game,” said Rivera, a senior forward. “We definitely left our blood, sweat and tears out there. We’re amazed about what happened, but I think everyone wanted to win this game real bad (because of last year).”
The District 32-5A champion Lady Vikings next play in the regional quarterfinals later this week against District 30-5A runner-up Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, a 3-1 winner against Sharyland High, also on Tuesday.
Details of the Pace-Veterans matchup were scheduled to be worked out this morning.
Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal was elated with the victory.
“First of all, these girls gave their hearts out,” Villarreal said. “Our girls took advantage of their chance tonight and they opened up their hearts to everything that they wanted to do. We studied this (Flour Bluff) team, we knew what they were capable of and we were aware of their offense, which is tremendously good and fast.
“I can only coach certain things, but these girls just gave everything from their hearts tonight (to win),” he added.
The Lady Vikings wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. With barely four minutes gone in the match, Rivera took a long free kick that slipped out of the Flour Bluff goalkeeper’s hands and was punched into the left corner of the goal by Guajardo.
The score became tied 1-1 10 minutes later when Flour Bluff’s Olivia Cerna scored from close range.
After that, Pace soon pulled away with the lead for good.
Midway through the first half it became 2-1 when Pace put the ball in play on a corner kick from the right side. The ball came to Guajardo near the left post and she nudged it into the net with her body.
Rivera then tallied on shots from 20 and 15 yards to complete the Lady Vikings’ first-half scoring. It was all the scoring they needed to make it to the third round of the postseason once again.