By Bob Narang –
The East Aurora High School girls soccer team is looking for a turn-around season.
After finishing with a 5-16 record last season and losing to rival West Aurora, the Tomcats’ returnees are focused on making a big improvement this season.
“I’m so excited for this season,” East Aurora midfielder Jacklyn Cabrera said. “It’s going to be better than last year. We have a lot of offensive players back, and we have to beat West (Aurora). We want to beat West and win (the) PepsiCo Showdown (April 7-14). It’s a team sport, and everybody has to work hard for those things to happen.”
The Tomcats lost all five of their Upstate Eight Conference games, but they return seven starters, notably Cabrera, Marubeni Nieto, Marina Lopez, and Alondra Monjaraz.
“We have to play more effectively than last year,” East Aurora head coach Obed Mendoza said. “When we’re in tight situations, we have to be smart because the smallest error could cost us a game.
“We need to get better recognizing when the ball is ours and it’s attacking time. We have to react faster and be more decisive when we lose it and it’s time to defend.”
East Aurora won its first two games. The Tomcats will play West Aurora at home at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 in an Upstate Eight Conference game.
Many Tomcat players indicated a desire to win their bracket of the PepsiCo Showdown again this season. They defeated Romeoville in their bracket championship last season.
“Last year was beyond exciting,” said Monjaraz, a midfielder. “We did so good in the PepsiCo Showdown and were just so happy to be in the final. Once we got to the semifinal, we thought it might happen. Once we got to the finals, we knew we had to win it. We want to win it again.”
• Meanwhile, West Aurora is coming off an 18-4-2 season that ended with a loss to Naperville North in the sectional tournament. Last season, the Blackhawks won their first regional championship and collected the most victories in program history. But they welcome back only three seniors, though Illinois State University recruit Riley O’Brien, 12 goals, 22 assists in 2017, and Sofia Papoutsis, 15 goals, return. West Aurora will play in the Showdown.