GCM Patriots Girl's Soccer

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[size=12pt]Garza, Pats aim to boost net gains [/size]

By Dave Rogers
The Baytown Sun
Published January 6, 2010


Brittany Garza admits she didn’t know what to expect as a freshman playing her first year of varsity soccer for a first-year high school.

“It was a big surprise for being our first year,” she said of the splendid season put together by Goose Creek Memorial’s girls despite playing a varsity schedule without a senior class.

“It’s different this year,” she said.

By different, Garza, a sophomore, means the Patriots know what to expect.

“I think we’ll do really good this year and hopefully make it farther than we did last year.”

Last year’s GCM team tied Kingwood Park for the District 41-4A championship, took the first-place playoff seed on a tiebreaker and advanced to the third round of the playoffs.

The Pats, 17-5-3 overall, fell by a 1-0 score to eventual state champion Friendswood in the Region III quarterfinals.

Garza remains one of the team’s tiniest players. But she came up as one of the biggest players last year – scoring 17 goals, including four of GCM’s six playoff counters – and could be asked to shoulder an even bigger load in 2010.

Some area high school soccer teams begin playing matches that count this weekend in tournaments or single matches. The others begin Monday or Tuesday nights.

GCM kicks off defense of its title at 5 p.m. Friday at home against Pearland Dawson.

Coach Alyson Ankrom will start the season without two of her top players from a year ago, goalkeeper Shelby Rodriguez and striker Adonika Amador.

Amador has transferred to Lee, Ankrom said.

Sophomore Stacy Pierce, last year’s backup keeper, will take over for Rodriguez while freshman Cindy Orozco is being counted on to pick up the scoring load for Amador.

Top returners for the Patriots include sweeper Amanda Denton, midfielder McKhenzie Raines, stopper Elyssabeth Dunn and defenders Melissa Cardona and Maria Valodovinos.

GCM’s biggest advantage this season will be the fact that the players are familiar with one another.

Chemistry, Garza said, “looks like it’s a lot better. And our new forward, Cindy, she’s good. I’m glad to have her on this team.”

While Kingwood Park remains the team to beat for the Patriots – the two GCM-KP matches ended in scoreless ties last year – Ankrom expects Crosby and C.E. King to offer top competition as well in district play, which begins Jan. 26.

The Patriots, playing without Garza and Raines, scrimmaged against Cypress Ranch and Atascocita last Saturday at Atascocita. They played two scoreless 30-minute halves against Cy-Ranch and one against Atascocita, falling 2-0 in another half against Atascocita.

“It was good to see some competition,” said Ankrom, whose team has been working out since right after Thanksgiving. “We found a lot of things we need to work on. That’s the good thing about scrimmages.”

Defense, Ankrom says, is GCM’s No. 1 priority.

A team can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score. Garza, in Orlando, Fla., last week for a 16-and-under showcase tournament, can help with the scoring.

“What’s so unique about Brittany is she can read the field,” her coach said. “She knows when to hold the ball, when to pass it and when to shoot.

“She’s just a true soccer player and her work ethic is through the roof.”

And when she shoots, the ball usually finds the net.

[baypat]

Looking forward to another fun season!  The girls played well last night.  It was a nice turnout for a cold night.  :) Thanks to all the guys out there show support!  They will be back out on the homefield Friday at 5pm vs Dawson.  Now that game will be COLD!