PREP SOCCER: Wildcats shoot for goal

Coach convinced Vegas has chance to take division title

Las Vegas High School's girls soccer team has been stuck in Chaparral's shadow in the Northeast Division the last couple of years, but with nine starters back, the Wildcats could emerge this season.

Las Vegas, which lost to Sunrise Region champion Green Valley in last year's region tournament, only dropped five games overall, two to the Gators and two to Chaparral, along with one to league foe Eldorado.

The Wildcats dropped another one to Green Valley early this season, 2-1, and also lost to a strong Silverado squad, but they blanked Foothill, 1-0, and appear poised to make a run at the division title.

"We just need to work on coming together as a team," third-year Las Vegas head coach Tresa Schilder said. "They don't play together year round like a lot of other teams, on the same club team, but we're ahead of where we were last year. We're more mature and more experienced. Our goals are to compete well with the teams who beat us last year, and we'd love to be able to take our division.

"I think our chances look good. If we continue to improve the way we have the last few weeks, I think we'll have a really good chance."

Jessica Raugust, a senior captain who has played on the varsity squad all four years, anchored the defense last year, but will move up to the midfield this season, where she's expected to lead the team.

"We put her in the midfield to kind of control it and give her some scoring opportunities," Schilder said. "She handles the ball very well, she looks for opportunities to move the ball up the field and she's very intimidating. She's very physical and she goes to the ball hard and she works hard. We expect a lot from her. She likes to make things happen and she's one of the better players I've seen here in town."

In the Wildcats' win over Foothill, speedy sophomore Priscilla Bolonas scored the lone goal and senior Brittney Hallawell earned the shutout.

Bolonas, the lone sophomore on the team, was one of the leading scorers on the squad last season and is expected to be among the team's top offensive players again this year.

Hallawell, who moves up from the junior varsity, has impressed Schilder with her play thus far.

"I'm very confident in her. She had a phenomenal game against Green Valley. She was taking shots 10 feet out and stopping them and she was diving all over the place," Schilder said. "She worked real hard in the offseason. She picked it up a notch, and if she continues to improve she'll be a very good goalie for us this year."

Lindsay McKean, a junior, led the team in scoring last season from the midfield, but will move outside this year to give some speedy teammates a chance to shine.

"We have tons of speed demons in the front," Schilder said. "We're going to be a very fast team, with lots of speed up front and we'll be using runs a lot and breakaways.

"We should have a really good defense, too, with our returning defensive players and freshman Kim Duke, who's doing a really good job back there."

Las Vegas returns junior defenders Alitzah Martinez, Samantha Montes and Krista Kurth, with Martinez anchoring the defense at sweeper.

"She's very quick chasing down balls and breakaways and clearing the ball out," Schilder said.

Las Vegas also features freshmen Brittney Beach and Alexia Balmesedo.

"Alexia looks like she'll be an outstanding player this year," Schilder said. "She's very fast, very quick and very intelligent with the ball. She finds opportunities."

Brianne Waitman, a junior, also has plenty of speed and scored a goal in the loss to Silverado.

The Wildcats also feature juniors Holly Espinoza, Mikaela Blanco, Jennifer Woodruff and Veronica Viayra-Leon, along with senior Alecia Chandler.


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