Girls soccer returns to the field for a very different season
When the Lodi High and Galt High girls soccer teams faced each other in a scrimmage on Monday at the Grape Bowl, players could be seen rubbing their arms to stay warm against the late November chill.
Bench players ran sprints on the sidelines to keep their muscles from going cold should they be called.
That’s a sight that will be more common this year, with both boys and girls soccer being played in the winter for the first time, as opposed to boys playing in the fall and girls playing in the spring. Players will have to take a slightly different approach to the game.
“You definitely have to make sure your subs up moving every 15 minutes and they’re not just sitting down,” Lodi coach Tim Stutz said. “So it’s like hey, every 15 minutes you get up and take off, go warm up regardless if you’re going in or not. I might even start having them warm up late, so they don’t get hot and then cool down. I might figure out my starting lineup sooner, so if you’re not starting you go a little lighter, and if you’re starting you go hard. So yeah, it’s definitely going to be an issue.”
Galt coach Jose Patino agreed that the different season would be a change.
“I think the biggest thing is just playing in it,” Patino said. “Our goal is league, everything else right now is just working toward it. Playing in the cold, it’s a great moment so we get a little bit of experience in it.”
As far as the product on the field, the Warriors were glad to scrimmage a tougher team, and the difference showed, with Lodi able to move the ball easily.
“It’s good, because we’re Division IV and they’re Division I or II, so I think it’s good that we play harder teams,” Patino said. “Then when we drop down to our division, we’re a little better.” Not just in their division, but in the Warriors’ league lurks Liberty Ranch, which went to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinals in the spring.
But then, Lodi went to the Division II semifinals, and seems poised for another deep run.
The Flames return starters in wings Rachel Sutter, Amanda Harris and Alexis Abarca, along with midfielder Shaina Hummel and defender Courtney Heisler. Other key returners include Tabitha Little and Allison Bender.
Stutz said he plays a formation that’s a little different than a lot of his players’ club teams use, making his wings play more of a midfielder role.
“We don’t play the long ball a lot, it’s a lot of short passes,” Stutz said.
Lodi has already been hit by injuries, though, with Camille Ramirez and Whitney Devine out for the season with knee injuries suffered during the
club season.
Stutz doesn’t have his full lineup yet, with six or seven freshman and sophomore he feel comfortable pulling up to varsity.
Galt brings back a strong core from its team that went 107-2 a year ago, starting with goalkeeper Anaely Marquez. Others include striker Isabelle Minatre and Celeste Baez. The Warriors also have four freshmen, led by Mia Miron, who Patino expects to have an impact.
Tokay High bring a few players back from its winless season a year ago, and first-year head coach Sam Gonzalez said his players began practice with a lot of enthusiasm.
“They seem pretty excited and motivated to come out there and compete,” Gonzalez said.
He also said the team’s goal is playoffs, and with a shorter league season (10 games instead of 15), every loss will hurt for Lodi or Tokay.
“One loss in the beginning of the season can cost a lot,” Gonzalez said. “We discussed it with other coaches at the meeting. It’s less points, so you’re risking a lot losing or tying early on.”
Tokay will bring back Sophia Caseiano, who was all-league in the spring, along with Monique Rodriguez, Paola Valencia, Illene Izaguirre, Vylynn Ha and Ivett Gomez. There’s also Katie Price, the goalkeeper who missed part of the spring season with a shoulder injury.
Liberty Ranch dominated the Sierra Valley Conference last year, going 9-0-1 before advancing to the D-IV semifinals in the playoffs.
The Hawks return for another run with captains Courtney Robinson, Hailey Schultz and Adrianna DeLaTorre. There’s also McKenna Brown, who was the second-leading scorer on the team in the spring with 14 goals and 12 assists.