By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The influence and support a family provides can’t be underestimated, and Natalie Garcia is a product of that.
Thanks to a family that has strongly supported her as a soccer player since childhood and an older brother who has set a standard of playing the game at a high level, Garcia is making her own way as a standout and a leader.
For becoming a more integral part of the offense from the midfield and leading her team as a goal scorer, the Hanna junior is The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro girls MVP for 2015.
As a midfielder, older brother JuanitoGarcia was a key member of the Hanna Eagles team that advanced all the way to the Class 5A state final in 2013. He went on to play two years for the Universityof Texasat Brownsville Ocelots, who went 24-1 and finished second at the NAIA national tournament last December in Florida. And now, Juanitowill be playing this fall for the inaugural men’s soccer team at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
“My brother has been the biggest influence on me,” said Natalie, a three-year starter who played mostly at forward before this season. “He set the standards real high when he came here to Hanna. Then he left and everyone has expected me to be like him. Well, I’ve tried, and I’ve tried to keep the (family) name going. He’s an amazing player, and I just hope to be like him one day.
“My family has been amazing, too,” Garcia added. “My grandparents, my mom and my dad, they go with me everywhere (to see me play). If it has to do with soccer, they’re there. I have very good support from them for soccer.”
The Lady Golden Eagles went 11-3 to finish second in a very competitive District 32-6A this season and advanced two rounds in the state playoffs.
Playing primarily in the midfield allowed Garcia an opportunity to display her ball-handling skills, plus it often opened things up more for herself and her teammates as well on the offensive end. Still, she was the one the team looked to for goals.
“Natalie was our scorer and we relied on her a lot this season,” said teammate Maddy Brama, the All-Metro girls defensive player of the year. “We put a lot of pressure on her to make goals. She made a lot of great plays, she distributed the ball everywhere and she kept us in check by keeping us together, calm and collected at times. She was just a great leader on the field as well as being a scorer.”
From Garcia’s standpoint, she didn’t want to let her team down.
“I love getting on the field and having a good time,” Garcia said. “It was a lot of fun (this season), especially with the teammates that I had. We had some trouble, but we overcame it and came out on top.
“Yes, I had a lot of pressure on me most games,” she added. “I just wanted to have my teammates’ back. I wanted to make them happy and put the ball in the back of the net, and that’s what I tried to do.”
When asked how it feels to receive recognition as an MVP, Garcia said, “I’m really happy and so honored. In the three years that I’ve been at Hanna, I’ve been recognized before, but not in such a big way, so this is a very cool feeling, and I like it.”
First-year Hanna coach Jose Morales had praise for his junior standout.
“Natalie is our explosive striker who is learning how to play as an attacking midfielder, and pose an even more diverse and dangerous threat (as a scorer and a creator of offense),” Morales said. “She is skillful and her diverse aptitudes helped the team tremendously. Another asset is her determination. She’s always playing her heart out. I really hope she is back with us next year to give us that versatility.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.
The BrownsvilleHerald’s 2015 Girls All-Metro Soccer Team
Most Valuable Player
Natalie Garcia, Hanna
Defensive Player of the Year
Maddy Brama, Hanna
Newcomer of the Year
Priscila Cortinas, Porter
Coach of the Year
Marissa Wood, Los Fresnos
First Team
Forwards — Yesenia Ortiz, Rivera; Tanya Prazelini, Los Fresnos
Midfielders — Clarissa “Claire” Castaneda, Los Fresnos; Julissa Urbina, Hanna; Jo Ann Sanchez, Pace; Samantha Ruiz, Lopez
Defenders — Michell Salinas, Lopez; Samantha Serino, Los Fresnos; Victoria Morales, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Priscilla Villarreal, Hanna
Goalkeeper — Vanessa Ramirez, Los Fresnos
Second Team
Forwards — Kryssie Rivera, Pace; Carla Gracia, Lopez
Midfielders — Michelle Morales, Rivera; Veronica Bratschi, Los Fresnos; Cristen Lumbreras, Los Fresnos; Leslie Estrella, Lopez
Defenders — Rubi Soto, Los Fresnos; Ashley Galvan, Pace; Hannah Waddell, Port Isabel; Viridiana Diaz, Rivera
Goalkeeper — Amanda Alaniz, Hanna