In their inaugural season, the Mater Lakes Academy girls’ junior varsity soccer team reached the Charter Schools League Championship game, but lost to Doral Academy, 5-1, a team they had beaten during the regular season.
The girls finished the season 7-4.
Head coach Robert Vidal said his team is made up of mostly middle school students who played well throughout the season.
“We came such a long way when no one gave us a shot,” he said. “We won the semifinal game and made it to the championship game. That was a great accomplishment for the girls.”
Vidal said his team got off to a slow start in the regular season but turned it around, including a 7-0 shutout victory over Doral Academy.
Before the game, he told his team he would buy them pizza if they won.
“I ended up spending $100 for pizza,” Vidal quipped. “But it was well worth it.”
Vidal said his players are the best local soccer team assembled.
Team captain Daniella Martinez, an 8th-grade student, Geraldine Velasco, who’s also in the eighth grade, and 7th-grader Ingrid Pagan are the backbone of the team.
And so are Vanessa Rodriguez, who was the team’s leading scorer at three goals per game, and Hailey Vidal, the coach’s daughter.
Robert Vidal said his team lives by one motto.
“We are all we got,” he said. “No one gave us a chance but we found our way and fought to get to the championship game.”