TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN — The McAllen Memorial Lady Mustangs played their match against state-ranked Los Fresnos with all the grit, courage and effort they could muster.
They twice came back from deficits to tie the game. The second comeback was in double OT, with just a few minutes left. Their defense hemmed in and frustrated the skilled Lady Falcons, a team with at least two Division-I college players.
But in the end, the Lady Mustangs youthful inexperience — which also helped them compete and stay in the game — did Memorial in. The Lady Mustangs missed the first three penalty kicks after two overtime periods and the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons hit three in a row to finally secure the Area round playoff victory 4-3 (3-0 in PKs) Friday night at Boxer Hernandez Stadium.
Los Fresnos goes on to play Brownsville Rivera in the regional quarterfinals.
“Honestly, it is the best game we’ve ever played, no matter the outcome tonight,” Memorial senior, captain and leading scorer Daisy Robles said. “This was a magical game. The chemistry was there. The heart was there. Two comebacks. I could not have asked for more. In my four years, this is the only team that has shown that determination to want it, to win, and I am so happy I got to end my season with this team.”
It was that kind of game. Players were spent. Coaches were philosophical and fans got more way more than their $3 worth.
Memorial, playing with a squad of mostly freshmen, came out of the gates on fire, putting Los Fresnos (26-2) on its heels initially. The Lady Mustangs narrowly missed a goal just 90 seconds into the game, thwarted by some heady defense by Los Fresnos.
The Lady Falcons settled into the game and dominated the rest of the half with 14 shots on goal compared to Memorial’s three. The Lady Mustangs scored a goal that was disallowed when a foul was called simultaneously. But a nil-nil halftime score was just the kind of game that Memorial was looking for against a high-powered team, coach Matthew Kaiser said.
“We knew we wanted to come out, give them something they had not seen before and play fast and aggressive,” said Kaiser, whose team played against the 30 mph wind in the first half.
Los Fresnos scored two goals in the second half. Claire Castaneda shot the ball from about 20 yards out to give the Lady Falcons a 1-0 lead with 26 minutes left. Los Fresnos scored another to make it 2-0 with 18:31 remaining.
That set up Memorial’s first comeback. Sophomore Carolina Guerra found the net at the 10:31 mark, and then just five minutes later freshman Andrea Santana hit the equalizer to knot the game at 2. It was an unlikely resurgence against such an experienced opponent, and Los Fresnos looked shocked.
In OT, Los Fresnos stud Tanya Prazelini finally got loose from the double team that shadowed her the entire game and scored by ripping a kick high into the net past the outstretched arms of Memorial goalkeeper Victoria Tanguma. It was Prazelin’s 64th goal on the year, and she scored it with 3:07 left in the first OT.
Memorial, seemingly for drama’s sake, waited unit there was 3:26 left in the second OT, and after two near misses on breakaways, to have freshman Viviana Cruz score the game-tying goal with a header.
“We came back from 2-0 and tied it up. And then we came back again and tied up,” Kaiser said. “No one likes to end their season, but that (effort) has been what our team has been about all year. They never quit.”
Forced into penalty kicks, Los Fresnos showed its experience. Memorial goalkeeper Tanguma stuffed Prazelini in the first round, but then the Lady Falcons hit their next three. The Lady Mustangs were stopped by goalie Summer Sosa on all three of their tries.
“It took every single player, from the starters to the bench. Regardless of score, we never gave up,” Los Fresnos coach Patricia Hernandez said. “We knew that the second round of the playoffs was not going to be easy. We prepared for McAllen (Memorial), and everything that came up in this game, we practiced for. So we were ready.”