Keeping it Close: DAC Goalies Shine on National Stage
In a season where razor thin margins routinely became the norm in deciding the outcomes, the attention turns to where the ball either crossed the line or stopped there.
They are keepers of the flock, if you will.
Four Dallas Athletic Conference women's soccer goalkeepers earned National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Goalie of the Week honors this season.
Dallas College North Lake's Emely Vargas was selected for the award Sept. 18. Dallas College Cedar Valley's Serena Aldana was picked for the honor Sept. 25. Dallas College Richland's April Reep became the recipient Oct. 2. Dallas College Brookhaven's Brianna Flores collected the award Oct. 9.
A sophomore from Arlington, Texas, Vargas stopped 12 of the 14 shots she faced in a 2-1 win at NJCAA Division I Cisco College and a 1-1 tie against then No. 1-ranked Brookhaven in the week she won the award.
"Emely has kept us in the games to keep the score very low," North Lake 17-year head coach Adrian Gonzalez said. "The effect that Emely has brought our team is really positive. We noticed it in the first Richland game when she wasn't there."
A freshman from Dallas, Aldana made 10 saves in combining with fellow Suns keeper Olivia Reyna on a pair of shutouts during her week in the spotlight. Aldana made nine saves as Cedar Valley held No. 2 Brookhaven to a scoreless draw. She also had one save in a 1-0 win over Dallas College Eastfield that week.
A sophomore from Porter, Texas, Reep made six saves in a 1-1 tie against No. 2 Brookhaven, and played the first half in 6-0 shutout of Dallas College Mountain View in the week she was honored.
A freshman from McKinney, Texas, Flores earned the award after stopping all nine shots she faced in back-to-back shutouts of North Lake and No. 8 Cedar Valley., Flores made four saves in the 3-0 win over North Lake, and had five more in the 2-0 victory over Cedar Valley.
"Bri has been an excellent shot stopper when she is called on, and has done a great job learning how to stay focused even when she isn't having to deal with much in games," Brookhaven first-year head coach Alex Denning said. "Our goalkeepers at Brookhaven have been great from the beginning of the year, just setting high expectations and learning from each other. The three we have are all very different, and that has helped them to grow. Be it injury or illness, our keepers have shown up ready to grow each other and put the team first."
DAC goalkeepers have combined for a total of 21 shutouts this season, including 16 in conference matches.
"It's definitely more competitive this year," Gonzalez said. "Most of our teams have good goalkeepers. Other years, it could be only one. This year, it's more competitive with other goalkeepers earning National Goalie of the Week. I think it's recruiting. There's so many clubs around the area. There's really good goalkeepers at the club level, and the coaches have been out there working. It seems like this year we were able to get good goalkeepers. It looks like all these goalkeepers are club goalkeepers. That's why the effect is so good for every team in our conference."
Flores' eight shutouts are tied for the most in the nation. She secured her eighth in a seven-save clean sheet to clinch the DAC title for the Bears Tuesday. Aldana ranks third in the country in save percentage (.938), tied for fourth in goals allowed (3) and fifth in goals against average (0.46). Flores is seventh in GAA (0.64).
Cedar Valley third-year head coach John Antonisse put an emphasis on bolstering his goalkeeping in the offseason. In each of the Suns' 13 games, both Aldana and Reyna have spent one half in goal, the duo combining for five shutouts.
"We have a great goalkeeping duo with Serena Aldana and Olivia Reyna," Antonisse said. "Both are starters with incredible talent and athleticism. It's hard to differentiate between them. They're both No. 1s, and they are both committed to this team and our success equally. We have a great situation."
Eastfield's Aspen Zesiger and Breanna Loftin shared one clean sheet, and Zesiger recorded another on her own.
In conference play, there have been seven ties – another illustration of the balance in the league. North Lake has a program-most five draws overall this season, including four in DAC contests. Brookhaven had three ties in the first half of conference play, including a scoreless draw to Cedar Valley. North Lake and Richland each had 1-1 draws with Brookhaven.
"North Lake's keeper was outstanding when we played them the first time," Denning said. "The saying 'She stood on her head,' suits her well. She saved a PK and many other shots throughout that game. She's a player in the conference I really hope looks to find a home at the next level. But overall, having high-end keepers throughout the league is really exciting, and forces the players to keep growing and teams to learn how to break that down. It lifts everyone."
Now the keepers will have a postseason stage to raise their level of play. The NJCAA Division III South District Tournament runs Tuesday through next Saturday at Dallas College Brookhaven. The tournament champion advances to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament Nov. 13-17 in Batavia, N.Y.