San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SOCCER PLAYER SWITCHES SCHOOLS AND PICKS UP A TITLE
Changing schools is never easy. Doing it in the middle of the school year is even tougher.
But, for Ysabell Hernandez and Mount Miguel, it was a win-win — literally.
The sophomore was attending Mater Dei Catholic in the South Bay, playing on the Crusaders’ soccer team, when the family decided it needed to move back to Spring Valley for a variety of reasons.
“Playing soccer made it a lot easier for me to adjust quickly and make new friends,” said the 15-yearold, who already knew several Matadors players.
Mount Miguel was 9-0-1 when Hernandez became eligible, but that record was built against mostly Division IV and V teams. Straight ahead were Grossmont Valley League games against Division III teams Monte Vista, El Capitan and Santana.
The Matadors went 0-6 against those three schools.
“We play two division(s) up in our league,” said girls soccer coach Ernie Reyes. “We knew what was coming, but we actually competed well against those schools.
“Things didn’t go our way in a few games and in the long run it helped us because it’s a faster game in Division III, and we were able to get used to that style of play. Ysabell was used to playing that faster style and she fit right in.”
A center-midfielder, Hernandez made everyone around her better, especially in the section Division V playoffs, where the Matadors went 3-0, outscoring their opponents 15-0, including downing Maranatha Christian 3-0 in the title game.
It was the first-ever girls soccer section banner for Mount Miguel, which headed into the state playoffs with a 13-6-1 record. The Matadors recorded another first with a 5-1 victory Tuesday over Los Angeles GALA at Mount Miguel in the Southern California Regional, before falling Thursday to No. 1-seeded The Webb Schools, 9-2, in Claremont.
It could have been awkward at the start, but it wasn’t.
“By being a soccer player, I was able to find my group at Mount Miguel easier,” Hernandez said. “Everyone made me feel welcome, and while the team didn’t have the skills they have at Mater Dei Catholic, where everyone is on a traveling club team, my teammates here were very hard-working.
“I seemed to be able to find Kenzie (Reyna, the team’s leading scorer) and of my 10 assists, eight of them went to her.”
Knowing she was going to play full-time also allowed Hernandez to do what she likes best: pass the ball. Asked whether she preferred scoring — she had seven goals to go with the 10 assists in just nine games — or getting the ball to a teammate for a goal, she said the latter.
“It’s hard to beat that perfect ball through the defense that leads to a goal,” Hernandez said. “I’ve known Kenzie since middle school (both attended Lemon Grove Middle School) and that made it a lot easier. There is such a good energy on this team, and Julianna (Laverdiere) is a great team captain. She set the tone.
“Although we lost some games, you could tell the team was determined to get better. We just had to learn how to play at a faster pace, so the second time around against those teams we were closer. Heading into the Division V playoffs, we knew we’d do well. We had a lot of confidence.
“By winning Division V, we made history.”
Hernandez still has a connection to the past as she plays club ball with the South Bay Rebels, which has several Mater Dei Catholic players. She likes both club and high school.
“Club is definitely more competitive,” said Hernandez, “but high school is more fun. You’re a part of the team, and on game days we wear our soccer jackets. The student body at Mount Miguel is really into it. We even had a parade.
“What we discovered this year is when you put your mind to it, you can actually accomplish your goals. We did that, and even though we graduate seven seniors, we’ll be good again next year.”