Abrianna Romero records one of her many saves against Saint Michaels.
Russell Huffman | El Defensor Chieftain photos

Despite taking a 4-3 loss in double overtime on Oct. 29 against Saint Michaels, the Socorro Lady Warriors soccer team did some growing up against a very talented team.

“I think this loss was on me,” coach Amanda Saenz said. “I think I should have done a quicker rotation on substituting today.”

The match was the second double overtime game for Socorro following a 1-1 tie against the Academy for Technology and The Classics (Santa Fe) when the Lady Warriors opened district Sept. 27.

Forward Faith Lucero takes a shot on goal.

Socorro has been making progress with each game it has played. There’s been a marked improvement over the last month, and the Lady Warriors are showing better communication and aggression on offense.

Goalkeeper Abrianna Romero is a rookie in the box and attacked defenders coming at her goal. The sophomore was in double digits regarding saves, and the final two goals scored against her went just over her outstretched hands.

“This is Abrianna’s first year playing goalie, and she’s doing an amazing job and just being fearless. That’s what we’ve been working on,” Saenz said.

The efforts Saenz is seeing aren’t just limited to her goalkeeper.

“The biggest thing instead of sitting on our heels waiting for them to come to us. We got to take it to them last week (district match). It was a rough one on the road with them. But we showed up today, and I can’t be prouder of them,” Saenz said.

It’s no secret the Lady Warriors are short on experience, and the bonding Saenz is seeing is helping the maturation process.

Alana Romero and Ariana Crespin try to distract a Saint Michaels player.

“The girls trust each other much more, and that’s been a big thing. From a year where we had 11 seniors to a team with some players that have never played is hard,” Saenz said. “There’s a lot of trust that came today, and we used our wings and forwards today much more.”

Lady Warrior fans have just three more home matches to enjoy as Socorro entertains against the Academy for Technology and The Classics on Oct. 11, Ruidoso on Oct. 20, and Hatch Valley on Oct. 22 to close out the regular season.

“Our defense on rotations was great. We were covering them on the wings. Saint Mike’s is an aggressive, offensive-minded team. I’m super pleased with all the girls’ performances today. I can’t ask for a better team,” Saenz said. “Honestly, it’s a growing year for sure. But today, they showed me they want this.”

Senior leader

With the score tied at 3-3 against Saint Michaels, Aurra Kendall did what seniors should do when they aren’t on the field — she cheered on her teammates.

Kendall didn’t stop there, and when she saw the Warriors soccer team taking a break from warming up (two overtimes to consider), she quickly rallied the young men into cheering and chanting for their counterparts.

Why?

“Every year, I’ve been part of this team since I was in eighth grade. This is my team, and I’m going to fight for them whether we’re winning or losing on the field,” Kendall said. “We always cheer for the boys, and I let them know how close the game was, and we needed to get louder. We needed their help, and they started cheering for us, too.”

Russell Huffman | Assistant Editor