After strong start,Lady Tigers seeking to step up their game
After strong start,Lady Tigers seeking to step up their game

By Gabe Toth

The Taos News

Buoyed by a strong week­end of scrimmages, the Lady Tigers soccer team is looking to build on their unexpect­edly strong performance last year as they enter play this season.

Despite a 5-0 loss against powerhouse Los Alamos to kick off the weekend, coach Yancey Ranspot said he “got some really good results out of the weekend,” as the girls went on to beat Santa Fe Prep 1-0 and tied AAA powerhouse St. Mike’s 2-2.

“The kids are definitely excited and pleased with themselves that we did as well as we did,” he said.

They’re working hard, he said, on getting down their positioning on-field, and making big steps toward integrating new players and working together as a cohe­sive group. “This season, the girls are already talking about building it as a team and going game by game,” Ranspot said.

With 14 returning players among the roughly 35 girls who turn out to every practice, the team has a solid base of experience to draw on, includ­ing seniors Sydney Swinehart, defender; midfielder Callie Benjamin; Jessica Christian, who doubles as a defender and midfielder; and forward Juanita Cohn, who scored one of the Lady Tigers’ goals against St. Mikes.

The Cancro sisters, junior Alex and sophomore Olivia, are also returning, and a corps of new players are help­ing round out a strong Lady Tigers team.

Among the new faces are eighth-grader Jackie Valerio, who despite her age has five or six years of recreational and club team experience under her belt; freshman and first­year player Helena Bassett; freshman Aili Siler, another young player who brings experience from youth league play; and new freshman goalie Melinda Young, who is “play­ing extremely well,” Ranspot said, and tended goal for all three games over the week­end.

“Our young up-and-com­ers are going to be a huge benefit for the team,” he said.

They’re opening the season with a tough weekend tour­nament in Artesia, sharpen­ing their skills against high­caliber teams such as the host Bulldogs, Carlsbad and Roswell.

“It’ll be a good test for us,” Ranspot said.

The home opener against Hope Christian will be anoth­er good contest, but it’s all just preparation for district play, he added.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea of the games we’re play­ing,” Ranspot said. “You play each team differently.”

Gabe Toth

The girls soccer team practices at the Ranchos Elementary fields Monday (Aug. 11). Pictured, returning varsity players Juanita Cohn, left, and Yaneis Autumn get some touches on the ball.

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