District outlook
Here is the outlook for Northern New Mexico teams in the 2017 girls soccer season:
District 2-6A
Nowhere to go but up. If that’s not the battle cry for Santa Fe High, it should be. The Demonettes ended last season with an 11-game losing streak that included a brutal trek through what was arguably the toughest district in the state. They were outscored 82-1 in 10 contests, hitting just nine goals all season. They went the final five weeks without a win and didn’t beat a single team from 6A. Depth shouldn’t be an issue as just four seniors were on last year’s team under head coach Alvin Valdez, making the learning curve marginally better this fall.
District 2-5A
A top-heavy district if there ever was one, the battle for No. 1 goes through Los Alamos and Albuquerque Academy yet again. The perennial powers will be as strong as ever as the Lady Hilltoppers welcome back a familiar and popular face in head coach Ann Cernicek. A star player in her day, she coached the boys team for years before moving to the East Coast. Now back, she inherits a team that reached the semifinals behind a senior-laden roster. Back in the mix is one of the state’s top players, junior Katie Hopkins.
At Capital, the rebuilding project is on as 80 percent of the team’s scoring from last year was lost to graduation, making this year’s goal the development of younger players. Head coach Ria De Kruyf has done a solid job of making the Lady Jaguars competitive, but for any hope of the playoffs, they need to figure out a way to avoid the goose egg in the district win column for a second straight year.
District 1-1A/4A
A one-bid district to last year’s state tournament, things don’t appear to be changing all that much as Desert Academy will again struggle with depth under a new head coach. The Lady Wildcats have seen their win total decrease four straight years, culminating in a winless run through the district last season. It ushers in new coach Cinna Boyle as she takes over a team that had just four underclassmen
returning. The outlook is rosier for Academy for Technology and the Classics, which remained in playoff contention after finishing .500 in district play.
The Phoenix return a number of key players, including one of the top scorers in freshman midfielder Maggie Rittmeyer.
District 2-1A/4A
The road to the district title has been paved in blue and white for a while. The times, they might be a-changin. Decimated by graduation and a lack of numbers, St. Michael’s isn’t the clear-cut choice anymore. Head coach Gerzain Chavez has only 26 players in his entire program, leaving just enough to field a varsity and JV. Tiana Baca takes over as a midfielder while freshman Olivia Farrar joins Daisy Smith along the front line. Chavez describes his club as a “tight, small group” but admits the going will be tougher as Santa Fe Prep looks to build off its quarterfinal run at state. Chris Valerio takes over as head coach, but he has a roster loaded with experienced players who helped the Griffins finish second to the Lady Horsemen last year. Robertson looks to be a serious threat as sophomore Maricela Montoya and junior Gabriella Montoya return from a 13-win team that reached the state quarterfinals.