Preparing for future matches was the approach Lehman Lady Lobo head soccer coach Nauri Garcia took during Friday’s nondistrict tilt with the Anderson Lady Trojans.
Lehman, however, got a little more than what they bargained for as a physical Lady Trojan squad emerged with a 3-1 win at Lobo Field.
But for Garcia, learning from mistakes made during the match provided the necessary adjustments for district play, which begins this week.
“It stinks that we lost at home, but they gave us a good example of what we’re going to face this year in the district we’re in ... We’re adjusting to what we felt we needed to do for district matches.”
Nauri Garcia, lady Lobo soccer coach
Communication issues were a prevalent problem the Lobos worked to rectify in the match. Garcia said the team was a “little quiet,” particularly in the midfield.
The issues led to problems moving the ball up field and combining to create a cohesive attack.
“It’s something we talked about,” Garcia said. “Last year, we graduated nine seniors. We’re trying to find our niche and our chemistry.”
Senior goalkeeper Maya Erwin said the Lady Lobos needed to work on pressing, along with covering and recovering better on the defensive end.
Lehman’s struggles centered on sophomore forward Jami Anderson, who finished with a hat trick in the game.
It took Anderson less than five minutes into the match to record her first goal, which came via a breakaway from the defense. Anderson’s score gave the Lady Trojans a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Lobos responded back roughly 15 minutes later off of a free kick.
Lehman’s Neftali Mercado secured the ball inside of the 18-yard box and drove it into the net for the opening score.
Garcia said the team began to play well at certain points. Helping the Lady Lobos was effective communication that fostered several scoring chances.
Garcia tried during the game to implement strategies that could work during district play, along with playing to the team’s strengths.
“During the goal, the girls started communicating,” Garcia said. “Those girls were the top players in those positions I felt they were strongest at.”
Garcia said he “mixed up” the lineup in the second half. However, the Lady Lobos were unable to generate rhythm.
The Lady Trojans, on the other hand, burst out of the gate quickly with a goal by Anderson roughly four minutes in.
The Lady Trojans’ physical style of play was a factor Lehman struggled to compete with. Anderson tallied a third goal, securing the game
“It was more physical than I anticipated. I didn’t expect to have a physical game at this point before district,” Garcia said. “But we have to learn from it.”
Working to fix the defense is necessary for Garcia, who said the Lady Lobos have shown solid play at times.
While other teams are finding weaknesses, Garcia said those issues are “fixable”.
Avoiding breakaway opportunities for opposing teams could be a critical component for the defense.
“We want them to shoot from the outside. They have to hit a perfect shot to beat us there,” Garcia said. “Our goalkeepers are capable.”
Despite some issues to fix, Erwin was confident in the team’s ability.
“I feel great. This team here (Anderson), we kept up with them 100 percent. This team was like what we’re going up against Westlake and Lake Travis. We held our own defensively.”
