By Moses Leos III
After missing the postseason by only one game last season, the Lehman Lady Lobo soccer team eyes a return to the playoffs in 2016.
With a squad that only lost one senior to graduation, head coach Nauri Garcia believes last year’s shortcoming provided ample motivation for his experienced team.
“The girls we have back are outstanding. They work hard for us and have been working hard for us,” Garcia said. “They are leading the team forward. You can feel and sense the urgency of everyone wanting to work together and get back to the playoffs.”
Headlining Lehman’s returning class will be 2015 14-6A goalkeeper of the year Maya Erwin. Aiding the Lehman offense will be twin siblings Melissa and Messly Navarro, who combined for 25 goals last season.
“They are going to be solid and help in the attack,” Garcia said.
Also returning are Amy Valdez and Riley Blok, along with Pamela Lasprilla.
According to Garcia, the cohesive attitude of returning players helps propagate success across the board. He said returning players “understand the philosophy of how we want them to work.”
Working together, both on and off the field, is the goal Garcia has for his team in 2016. But it’s the returning players’ drive to win that drives the team forward.
“They spread the bug of wanting to win. The younger girls are feeling it and they want it too,” Garcia said. “Our practices are cohesive and we’re getting things done because of the experience. It’s going to show on the field.
Along with the experience will come some youth, as the Lady Lobos bring in freshman attackers up front to assist the Navarro twins, which Garcia said “is kind of what we needed.”
“The other girls we have, they are offensive minded,” Garcia said. “We just need them to finish hitting those goals we weren’t hitting last year.”
Lehman will have to compete in a tough 14-6A district that features district heavyweights Lake Travis and Westlake.
But for Garcia, the ability of his team to compete, especially when he said many doubted the Lady Lobos last season, was important. He said the team does understand, however, the importance of what one goal can do.
Lehman lost a pivotal road game against Austin High by a 1-0 result last season.
“One goal goes in and you could win the game, even if you don’t dominate,” Garcia said. “They understand that and they want it. I do too.”
For Garcia, the ultimate scenario is to reach the state tournament in Georgetown.
“Our goal is to always be in the state finals. People think I’m crazy for saying it, but that’s why we play the game,” Garcia said. “We just need a foot in the door to get in the playoffs.”
