The Lady Bulldogs soccer team improved their undefeated district record to 20-0 recently as they finished with a perfect district record for the second year in a row, ending the season as Bi-District Champions and Area qualifiers.

“All of us have an intense will to win and we are all extremely competitive,” All-District Second Team defensive honoree junior Ellen Hevenor said.  “We’ve been playing soccer since we could walk, so we know just how much hard work and dedication it takes.” 

The team is led by one of San Antonio’s leading soccer coaches, Raul Noyola and new assistant coach Summer Ragsdale. Noyola was recently named by the San Antonio Express News as one of the top ten soccer coaches in the San Antonio Area by career wins. Coach Noyola’s record is 178 wins, 80 losses and 16 ties.

This year’s All-District Offensive player of the year junior Mckenna Mangold said, “We all love the game of soccer. When you put the talent, hard work, and determination of all the players together you get a lot of wins.” Mangold recorded her 100^th goal of her career this season.

             The team reached the second round of their district playoffs this year but fell to Boerne Champion in a shootout 3-2.  Despite the disappointing loss, the team remains close and looks forward to next year’s opportunity to continue the streak, as the team will only lose one senior Emily Maxwell, who has signed to play for her father’s alma mater Park University in Missouri.

                “We only lost one player (Maxwell) so I believe we will get better and get past the third round,” said junior Second Team All-District mid-fielder Jordan Hayes.

            Having played together for so long, the team’s goals go way beyond their third round appearance last year. “We want to work hard and get to state,” sophomore Honorable Mention defender Catrina Sampson said.

Junior goalie Brittney Palacios won the district’s “Newcomer of the Year” award and focused on the team’s long history together. “The team is like a family,” Palacios said. “We are so close; each and every one of the girls is like my sister.”

Other teammates also attribute their success to their familiarity with one another. “We have really good team chemistry; the majority of us have played together our whole lives,” junior first-team All-District mid-fielder Montana Hicks said. “We know what to expect from each other.  Every game I’m put on the field with ten of my best friends.”

Each girl understands the adjustments that must be made to make a title run in the upcoming season and a wholly healthy team will play a large part in the team’s future success.   

“We need everyone healthy considering juniors Sara Herrera and Madelyn Kinsel both have torn ACLs,” said Hicks.  Despite their injuries, Kinsel earned First-Team All-District honors and Herrera Honorable Mention.

“We need to make sure everyone is determined,” junior First Team midfielder honoree Analisa Gonzalez.