Scorpions enjoying memorable women's soccer season

Scorpions enjoying quite a memorable season in women's soccer

By ROY HESS

The Brownsville Herald

Of the five years women's soccer has been played at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, this season ranks as the team's best for several reasons.

The 2011 UTB-TSC women's squad has set a team record for most goals in a season (77), most team wins in a season (17) and has captured the Red River Athletic Conference title for the third time in five years. The other two conference titles came in 2007 and 2009.

"To be honest, it's been a dream come true (to play for the Scorpions)," said center midfielder Helen Wagstaff, a native of England who earlier this week was named first-team all-conference for the fourth straight year. "Getting here (from England) was actually a dream (realized) in the first place, and it's just gotten better and better every single year. We started well (as a program), but I think this season, my senior year, we have the best team that we've ever had.

"We've come together more than ever before, and there's just a real connection between everyone," she added. "People (on this team) really believe we have something special here and that we can achieve something big together."

The Scorpions (17-2-1), winners of 15 straight matches, play an NAIA National Championship Opening Round game at No. 5 University of Mobile (17-3-1) of Alabama at 6 p.m. Saturday with the winner advancing as one of the 16 final teams to the NAIA Championships Nov. 28 through Dec. 3 at Decatur, Ala. UTB-TSC tied Mobile 0-0 in the first game of the season on Aug. 25.

"Obviously, it always comes back to the players, and they've been working really, really hard," said UTB-TSC women's coach Nikola "Nik" Barjaktarevic, this season's RRAC co-coach of the year. "We've been able to score more goals this season. We've always had a good plan of how to possess the ball and score goals. We've done a better job finishing (this season), and I think we've also played better on defense.

"We laid the foundation (for it) after last season," he added. "At least result-wise, last season wasn't quite what we wanted, and we really created an environment for this season to happen. A lot of positive things came out of how our last season finished (with a loss in the conference tournament semifinals). We had the right mentality (to do better), and it has made a difference."

Although the Scorpions' lineup changes from time to time, the usual starters include Verena Wonsikowski and Laura Luis at forward, Wagstaff, Leah Russell, Isadora Freitas and Linette Cuvillier in the midfield, Jodie Hunter, Danielle Lea, Emily Husband and Monica Mendes on defense and Jessica Hamer at goalkeeper.

Among the most frequent players coming off the bench are defender Abigail Perez, midfielder Chelsea Maidment and forwards Samantha Garcia and Susana Muñoz.

Luis, a sophomore from Portugal, leads the team with 14 goals. Freitas and Garcia each have scored 11, while Wonsikowski, Wagstaff and Cuvillier have tallied nine, eight and seven, respectively. Russell leads the Scorpions with 12 assists. Freitas and Lea each have recorded

seven. The Scorpions, mainly with Hamer tending the net, have 12 shutouts to their credit.

Everything seems to have come together for greater success in 2011.

"I have great teammates," said Freitas, a sophomore from Brazil. "They're helping me all the time with many things. We've learned how to play together, and we're getting better and better. (Coming from Brazil,) I was a little scared at first, but now, I'm really happy to be here."

Added Cuvillier, a senior, "Ever since I was in high school (at Los Fresnos), I always hoped that I could play here. I've been part of this team for five years (beginning as a redshirt freshman in 2007), and it's been a successful program. I'm proud of it because we're seeing the progress in each other. It's just been a blessing to be a part of it.

"I'll always remember being on this team with all these girls," she added. "It's been a lot of fun."

Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com