By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
If Tuesday’s District 32-6A-opening match between the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons and Lopez Lady Lobos was any indication of how the rest of the conference girls race could go, then it should be quite a close, intense battle all the way to the end.
Although Los Fresnos was the team with more scoring chances, the Lopez girls were the ones finding the net for the lone tally of the game during a 1-0 overtime win. The match remained scoreless for 94 minutes before Carla Gracia came up with the game-winner from close range for Lopez.
She dedicated the goal to her team.
“This (win) gives us a lot more hope than we had (going into district),” Gracia said. “It motivates us to try to win the rest of our games.”
The Lady Lobos are attempting to overcome the loss of junior forward Christiane Escandon, who is out for the season with an ACL injury. She led the team with 28 goals last season.
One year after going 21-1 and finishing as the No. 1 team in the Rio Grande Valley, the Lopez girls have had some up-and-down showings prior to the start of district, including their results at the recent Brownsville ISD Tournament.
“I know my team (and what it can do),” Lady Lobos coach Alex Macias said.
NOT HAPPY: Lady Falcons coach Marissa Wood was not at all pleased with the way Tuesday’s game at Lopez was officiated, and she expressed her discontent to the referees for several minutes after the match was over.
“Unlucky,” was her one-word description of the game.
“We’re not done and we’re coming back,” Wood said.
The Los Fresnos girls (13-2, 0-1 district), winners of the BISD Tournament in decisive fashion, will try to bounce back at home Friday against San Benito. After that, they have a huge match coming up Tuesday at home against Harlingen South.
Still, the way the 32-6A girls race is shaping up, there will be quite a few huge matches to be played this season.
HELP FROM ABOVE: Pace coach Jesus Villarreal was feeling pretty good after his girls won their District 32-5A opener 3-1 on Tuesday at Mercedes. It was a victory that had special significance for him.
“The win is very important to me personally because on a day like that one, Jan. 27, three years ago, my mother (Ana Fernandez de Villarreal) passed away,” said Villarreal, whose team will be at Donna High on Friday. “I was telling the girls how perhaps we received a little help from above on our first goal.
“It was shot 100 percent by (Pace’s) Kryssie Rivera, and on the rebound, Mercedes scored on their own goal,” Villarreal added. “Kryssie had all three of our goals in the game.
“It lets everyone on our team know that all the hard work and sacrifices made during the preseason are paying off. Now it’s time to shift gears for district competition.”
MOMENTUM BOOST: The Porter Cowgirls also are feeling good about themselves after winning their 32-5A opener 2-1 at home Tuesday over a Donna North team that won a district title and advanced three rounds in the playoffs last season.
Priscila Cortinas scored Porter’s two goals against Donna North with teammate Alexis Vegas assisting on both tallies.
“It feels good to start off district with a ‘W,’” Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia said. “It gives a boost of confidence to the team. Although Donna North was a good team, our girls played their hearts out.”
The Porter girls travel to Edcouch-Elsa as 32-5A action continues Friday.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess