Pebble Hills Defeat the Bulldogs

Junior+Briseis+Gomez+dribbles+down+field+during+the+game+against+Socorro+Friday+night+Jan.+28.+Photo+by+Kendall+Howard

Junior Briseis Gomez dribbles down field during the game against Socorro Friday night Jan. 28. Photo by Kendall Howard

Vianney Lopez, Reporter

Pebble Hills varsity soccer girls finished off Friday night’s home game with a 3-1 win against the Socorro Bulldogs Jan. 28.

This was the girl’s first-district win of the season after losing to Eastwood and Eastlake.

The Bulldogs defensive line fought hard, but once the second half began, sophomore Renee Leon and junior Briseis Gomez led the Spartans with a 2-goal win.

“Teamwork is very important, you can’t have an amazing offense and score seven goals with a bad defense,” Leon said. “When we win or lose games, it was as a team. Everyone puts 110 percent in that field.”

Head coach, Jesus Malanche, who enters his first year at Pebble Hills, hopes the girls clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“He really got the team closer than ever,” said junior Jackie Rubio. “He helped us understand the game more than we thought we knew. He always does what’s best for the program.”

Despite his limited time coaching this season, he has already made a difference to the team.

“Even though he’s been here for less than a year, he’s made an impact on the players such as making us rethink our future for soccer when most of us wanted to quit,” said Rubio.

The girls are now getting used to a new environment when it comes to new coaching skills from Malanche. However, this has allowed them to have more opportunities when it comes to playing.

“We are starting brand new,” said Leon. “Forget last year or the previous years; It’s a whole new environment and he has impacted us in a positive way, looking at all of our strengths.”

The next game they pulled out the 4-0 win against Coronado. Malanche’s team finished the two-game streak with a 7-goals.