By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
There exists a high standard of expectations for Metro-Area girls soccer in 2018 after last season’s strong showing.
All the girls teams from Brownsville ISD — six of them — plus Los Fresnos and Port Isabel made the playoffs a season ago as the Lady Falcons advanced to the regional tournament for the third straight year and the Pace Lady Vikings advanced three rounds in the postseason. The Rivera Lady Raiders reached the third round of the playoffs as well.
The potential is there for another standout campaign by Metro-Area girls squads. The UIL regular season opens Thursday with tournaments and non-district matches on the schedule.
Here is a look at the Metro-Area girls teams for 2018:
HANNA LADY GOLDEN EAGLES
Hanna advanced two rounds in the Class 6A playoffs in 2017 during Eliseo Guzman’s first season as the Lady Golden Eagles’ coach.
There are eight starters back. They include forward Linda Zacarias, midfielders Sytlaly Loyde (team captain), Nadia Sifuentes and Angelina Castillo, and defenders Hillary Pina, Toni Villalpando, Sannon Perez and Alissa Perez. Also, Hanna has two solid candidates at goalkeeper in Abby Mata and Valeria Perez plus newcomers in the midfield in Pamela Prado and Samantha Galvan.
“I expect to have a great season,” Guzman said. “The team looks very united and we have new girls that are going to make a difference.”
RIVERA LADY RAIDERS
Just like Guzman at Hanna, Peter A. Rodriguez is also beginning his second season as head coach at Rivera.
The Lady Raiders made it to the third round of the 6A playoffs last season as Rodriguez was named All-Valley girls soccer coach of the year.
Rodriguez said there are 11 returnees for the Lady Raiders. They include Ashley Torres, Esmeralda Gonzalez, Alexis Sayas, Alyssa Ayala, Ana Perez, Myrka Guevara, Lesly Pena and Daisy Cano, a goalkeeper.
Other players to watch include Mayra Martinez, Claudia Flores Gonzalez, Maddie Blanco, Marlen Mendieta, Itzel Ramos, Sam Rasco, Jamie Silva Gonzalez and Yulianna Villanueva.
Rodriguez said Rasco missed most of last season due to an injury.
“Seven or eight of those girls were starters and we lost a couple of them due to season-ending injuries during the offseason,” he said.
LOS FRESNOS LADY FALCONS
The Lady Falcons graduated a pair of their top players from last season in midfielder Clarissa “Claire” Castaneda and forward Tanya Prazelini (a Valley girls record 68 goals in 2017), but there is plenty of talent back to make Los Fresnos one of the teams to beat again in District 32-6A.
Castaneda and Prazelini each signed a scholarship to play soccer in college.
The group of players back for the Lady Falcons this season includes Alexa Gutierrez, Allison Spier, Perla Briseno, Sam Sanchez, Itzel Bochas, Gaby X. Mariscal and Summer Sosa, a goalkeeper.
Patricia K. Hernandez is beginning her third season as the team’s head coach. Los Fresnos has won a district title five times in the last eight years.
BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL LADY CHARGERS
There are five returning starters for the Lady Chargers, who finished second in District 32-5A last season and advanced two rounds in the Class 5A playoffs. The starters back are Samantha Bodden (team captain), Melissa Medina, Kasandra Jimenez, Monika Sanchez and Arely Guzman, who was the 32-5A newcomer of the year last season.
Returning lettermen include Hannah Obregon and Ana Karen Garcia.
“We have a young, hard-working team that is getting ready to compete against great competition throughout the season,” Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said. “We understand that everything is a work in progress and that there is still much to improve. However, there is a feeling of confidence that we can achieve great things as long as we continue to be driven, build on team unity and have fun while doing it. Overall, I can say that I am excited and ready to begin competition as we aim to have another successful season.”
PORTER COWGIRLS
After having gone 20-plus years without ever making the playoffs, the Cowgirls have qualified for the postseason in back-to-back seasons (2016 and 2017).
The seven returning starters for the Cowgirls in 2018 are defensive midfielder Katherine Castillo, defenders Quetzali Cortez and Roxanna Miranda, midfielders on the wing Marina Rios and Brittany Sanchez, attacking midfielder/forward Priscila Cortinas and attacking midfielder/defensive midfielder Carla Longoria.
Sheila Dominguez, a defensive midfielder, is out for the season with an injury, while defender Allysa Vega is also hampered by an injury that might sideline her, too.
LOPEZ LADY LOBOS
The Lady Lobos are the defending champions in 32-5A who advanced two rounds in the 5A playoffs last season.
They graduated four-year starters Michell Salinas and Carla Gracia, but there are some talented and experienced players returning.
The nucleus back that will try to bring the Lopez girls a third straight district title includes Noemi Gallardo, Kiara Garcia, Myrka Garcia, Corina Garcia, Sam Valdez, Tiffany Marambu, Zayra Esquivel and Kenya Gonzalez.
“They’re all impact players,” Lady Lobos coach Alex Macias said.
PACE LADY VIKINGS
The Lady Vikings had their best showing in the playoffs in school history in 2017 when they advanced three rounds.
Their 5A playoff run included a bi-district upset of highly regarded Sharyland High when Pace won on penalty kicks. A 2-1 area-round win against Gregory-Portland advanced Pace to the regional quarterfinals where the Lady Vikings were edged 4-2 by Flour Bluff.
Back this year for the Lady Vikings is Kryssie Rivera, a talented scorer (25-plus goals in 2017) and the overall MVP in 32-5A last season as a junior. In all, there are eight starters returning. Besides Rivera, the others are Alma Perez, Alexis Guajardo, Yovana Rodriguez, Yadira Dominguez, Belia Suarez, Ariana Garcia and Lesley Amador.
The return of Pace’s starters and the addition of some new players could boost the Lady Vikings and make them one of the teams to beat in 32-5A this season.
PORT ISABEL LADY TARPONS
Jesus Cardenas begins his sixth season of guiding the Lady Tarpons, who compete in District 31-4A against five other teams.
The Port Isabel girls have never missed the playoffs in their five previous seasons of the program’s existence. They even advanced a school-best three rounds in 2016.
Cardenas said he has a solid group returning this time around. The Lady Tarpons finished second in 31-4A last season and reached the second round.
“This is the most experienced team I have had and hopefully (it will go the) deepest (in the playoffs) too,” the Lady Tarpons coach said.
There are nine returning starters with Dafneht Mendez and Ava Gomez back at forward. The returnees in the midfield are Jenny Martinez, Celia Polsky, Esthela Castillo and Susana Martinez. The defense returns Katia Torres and Stephanie Ortiz, who is recuperating from an injury and may not play until district starts.
“I will be looking for contributions from Diana Gonzalez, Carla Alonso and Neftali Torres to solidify our defense,” Cardenas said. “I am really looking for Valeria Gonzalez to give us more depth at the forward position and for Melisa Lopez to shut down the goal with her play at goalkeeper.”
IDEA FRONTIER LADY CHARGERS
The goal for the Lady Chargers this season will be to make the 4A playoffs under first-year coach Brittany Hernandez after missing the postseason a year ago. The Lady Chargers play in 31-4A.
“I believe some players who should be a great asset to the team would be ninth-grader Vanessa Hernandez, 10th-grader Samantha Franco and 10th-grader Aylinn Perez,” Hernandez said.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess