The Pampa Lady Harvesters soccer team (1-9-1, 1-4-1) both tied and scored their first win of the season over the last three games. The Lady Harvesters tied Hereford 3-3 on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and beat Perryton 1-0 before falling to Randall 7-0.
The Lady Harvesters have shown a lot of growth as District has played on, and it was first evident on Teacher Appreciation Night against Hereford.
“Despite the tie, I saw lots of fight in the girls,” Head Coach Brennan McGinty said. “ I can confidently say I think the tides have shifted on that front. They refuse to give up, no matter what the scoreboard says.
“Outside of that, it was encouraging to see a major step forward in the way we attack when we possess the ball. Hereford is better than their record shows. They are well coached. So to be able to put 3 in the back of the net, that means something.”
The Lady Harvesters saw their hard work and patience come to fruition when they earned their first win against Perryton. Freshman Chloe’Ezmae Larrazolo scored all four of the goals against Hereford and Perryton aided by assists from Junior Annette Luna, Sophomore Annette Garcia and Senior Zhalie Solis. But it’s someone beyond the stat sheets that has stood out recently.
“Annette Luna, Annette Garcia and Zhalie Solis all had assists and played amazing soccer,” McGinty said. “However, a name that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but has a massive impact is Kaylee Gamez.
Kaylee Gamez
“Watching live I kept thinking she was playing lights out and the film confirmed it. Her intensity and ability to make the smart play time and time again really shined. She is a crucial piece to the puzzle.”
The win over Perryton has been a confidence-boost for the Lady Harvesters.
“The win was a major confidence boost for the girls,” McGinty said. “They’ve been so close, so many times. So to finally end the game on the winning side, it was a visceral experience.”
Junior Aliyah Acosta was filling in at goaltender for fellow Junior Yarely Villalobos as the latter was recovering from an injury. Now that both players are in their usual slots, the Lady Harvesters’ line-up is hitting it’s stride.
“Yarely Villalobos and Aliyah Acosta were both major contributors to the win,” McGinty said. “Aliyah made smart runs and played the ball well several times through. She ended up with the assist to Chloe that was the deciding factor. Yarely had a clean sheet. She played lights out in goal. She’s finally starting to look like her old self after having to sit out for over a month.”
Yarely Villalobos
The Lady Harvesters’ loss to Randall saw the Lady Harvesters tighten up in the second half despite playing an aggressive Lady Raiders.
“It’s easy to look at the final score of the Randall game and have negative thoughts,” McGinty said. “However, anyone who went to the game and watched saw a totally different team in the second half. Randall wanted to end the game with a mercy rule.
“But, our girls refused to let them have it. The defensive effort ramped up in the second half and we only allowed them to score a single goal with roughly eight minutes left in the game. I was proud to see them show they could step up. Now we just have to find a way to play the first half the way we played the second half.”
The Lady Harvesters return to action tonight when they host Dumas in hopes of earning their second district win.
“We play Dumas on Friday,” McGinty said. “I’ve known Coach McHenry for a long time, dating back to my days teaching in Dumas. His girls are always well coached and play whistle to whistle.
“We can’t relax for any amount of time or they will capitalize on it. Their keeper is a four-year starter, so we have to take smart shots and capitalize on any opportunities we get. It should be a great game, and could impact the playoff race down the road.”