Breaking down the roster, the Lady Cats should be very good at goalkeeper, returning 3-year starter Angelica Soto. Soto was All-Conference last season, and in my opinion, could have just as easily been All-State. Soto has been the backbone of the defensive unit for the past couple of seasons and she looks ready to keep performing at a high-level this upcoming season. On media day, Soto had this to say about the upcoming season, “I need to keep working on my confidence to continue to get better and as a team we’ve been working together and getting better.”
Returning on defense for Hope is a lot of experienced players. Led by Angelina Soto, Yudit Dominguez, and Cristal Aguilar. This unit played very well last season, as they did not allow many goals throughout conference play. There for a stretch last season, the only goals getting scored on the Lady Cats were from PKs. As this group works very well together and does a great job making GK Angelica Soto’s job much easier. “Being more confident in myself is something I’ve worked on this offseason and just improving on being the best I can be,” Angelina Soto said about what she has worked on this offseason to continue to improve. Angelina is back for another season and looks ready to pick up where she left off last season, which was a very good one. Yudit Dominguez is back and ready to get the season going, as she will be in her second full season as a starter. During media days, Yudit had this to say about the upcoming season, “We’ve put in a lot of work this year, when the first game gets here we’re going to be ready.” Cristal Aguilar is also returning as a starter from last season and will be instrumental in the success of the Lady Cats this season. Aguilar had this to say at media days about the upcoming season, “I really have high hopes for this season, we have improved a lot and we have great chemistry, defensively we’ve been working on working together.” Aliison Yhoss is another player that will get a lot of big minutes this season for the Lady Cats, as she has been much improved and will make a huge impact this season.
Replacing stopper Brency Cabriales will be a void filled by committee, as numerous players are going to contribute at the stopper position. You have Esme Leon that appears to be one of the top options for stopper. Leon had a big fall for the Lady Cats in cross country and she should be in line for a big showing this season. Keidy Azanza is another option for the defense that could make a big impact. Azanza got some big minutes last year and will see a bigger workload this season. Reyna Martinez is another name that played a good bit last season and will be in the mix for a lot of minutes this upcoming season. There is a lot to be excited about with this Lady Cat defense, as they are returning a lot of players and their growth from last year to this year will be a big factor in just how far this team can go. “They’re getting better at understanding the game and understanding game-planning, I am really excited about the season,” Coach Dominguez said as he spoke on the team and their growth.
The attack from the Lady Cats will be looking to replace a pair of players that rarely came off the field in Miracle Martinez and Audrey Mercado. Striker and leading goal scorer Madelyne Maclaughlin is returning for her junior season, as she is coming off a season-ending injury last year that sidelined her for around half of conference play and the State tourney. Madelyne led the Lady Cats in goals her freshman and sophomore season, so there are a lot of goals returning for Hope this year. “I feel like I’ve came back stronger than I thought I would be and I feel more confident than I originally thought I was following last season,.. Watching the end of the season on the sideline, I learned that I need to talk to teammates more and communicate more as a team and that we can build a stronger chemistry together,” Madelyne said about returning, as well as improving on certain aspects of the game that she learned through a different perspective of being sidelined the last half of the season.
Returning from last season are Brianna Maclaughlin, Crystal Ortiz, Paola Dominguez, and Ari Juanes. All four of these players will have a lot to do with the success of this season for the Lady Cats. Brianna finished last season very strong, including a hat trick in a big conference win last season. This season Maclaughlin will be asked to play in multiple places on the pitch this year, as she played a lot of wing last year, center-mid could be her new position this year. Brianna had this to say on the upcoming season on media days, “We’ve been working on tactical strategies to help us get ready for games along with a lot of agilities to build endurance, as well as working on our 1v1s and working on finishing.” Crystal Ortiz is another player that is returning that scored some big goals last season for the Lady Cats. Ortiz played a lot of striker after the injury to Maclaughlin and did a very good job filling in. Crystal will be one of the top options at wing this year, as well as other places on the pitch, as she will be a big part of the Lady Cats attack. Paola Dominguez played a lot of big minutes last season and improved every week last season. Paola will look to pick up where she left off last season and will be tasked with a bigger role with multiple players graduating last year. “I’m really hopeful to win a lot of games this year and I am looking forward to helping our team achieve our goals,” Paola said at media days. Ari Juanes is a name that you will need to get familiar with this season, as Juanes will be one of the wings for this seasons Lady Cats. Ari has improved tremendously in all facets of the game, including control of the ball, her passing/crosses, as well as finishing at the net. On media day, Ari spoke on the upcoming season, “I’m excited about playing wing this season, we’ve worked hard, and I have really high hopes for our team.”
Conference opponents will be very similar to last season, as Bauxite will be returning as the reigning conference champions. Followed by DeQueen and Nashville who were 2nd and 3rd respectfully. Hope finished the year strong, winning their final three conference games to finish in 4th place. Mena, Arkadelphia, Malvern are all back in the conference, as well as adding Magnolia. This year looks to wide open, as this should be a very competitive conference from top to bottom. “This is one of the more tougher conferences in the state in girls soccer,” Coach Dominguez said as he spoke on the depth of the conference.
The season is set to start on February 28th in Hot Springs against the Lady Trojans. Following back-to-back State Tournament appearances, this group has their sights set on another trip, and winning games in the tournament and breaking through the opening round. “This could be a really good year for us and I believe the team is fired up for the upcoming season,” Coach Edmundo Dominguez said when asked about gearing up for the fast approaching season. If you find yourself searching for something to do during March, April, and May, come out and support the Lady Cats. This could be a very special year in the making. GO LADY CATS!!!!
