Cavegirls' 2016 outlook bright
CARLSBAD – On paper, the Carlsbad girls soccer team's outlook entering 2016 couldn't be any brighter.
The key group is still intact, especially on the front line.
Key returners include senior forwards Lauryn Wade and Tessa Graham, senior midfielders Julie Thompson and Madison Austin and junior midfielder Rylee Hoover.
"We should be hard to handle up top," said coach Misty Long.
Added Wade: "Most of the forwards are all fast."
Sophomore defenders Jennifer Munro and Jensen Leivo are also back, as are junior defender Mariel Gomez and sophomore midfielder Gabby Aragon.
They'll also play in the same district as the Las Cruces-area schools and Carlsbad's had plenty of success against those teams in recent years.
"I feel we competed well against all those teams last year," Graham said.
Carlsbad has a combined record of 17-2 against Las Cruces, Mayfield, Oñate and Centennial since 2012.
And there's another incentive Long pointed out regarding the new district.
"Whoever wins our district is basically the best team in the south," Long said. "It's all about bragging rights, who wants the best seed."
Carlsbad won't take part in this year's Albuquerque Academy tournament, which proved to be a little bump in the road during the year.
Although Carlsbad benefited from the competition, Graham said it caused some fatigue because it was three consecutive days.
"That's when a lot of us got hurt," said Graham, who injured her hamstring during that time in 2015.
As far as immediate goals go, Long said she hopes Carlsbad will do well enough in the regular season to at least host a first-round state tournament match, something the Cavegirls fell short of doing in the previous two seasons.
Players not only want to host an opening-round match, but also advance past the opening round.
"That's be nice. We just never really got to push that far," Wade said.
Added Graham: "It kind of sucks [to be one-and-done] because we'd get one of the last seeds, and then we'd have to play one of the teams that ends up winning state. If we win all of our games this year, which I think we have a good chance to, we can get a better seeding and make it past the first round."
Carlsbad’s last playoff victory came on Nov. 2, 2013, in which the Cavegirls beat Las Cruces at home (3-2) in the first round.
Carlsbad (12-7-2 last year) opens the season at home against Chaparral at 6 p.m. tonight.
2016 Cavegirls soccer schedule
Aug. 16: Chaparral, 6 p.m.
Aug. 18: Alamogordo, 6 p.m.
Aug. 25: Goddard, 6 p.m.
Aug. 30: Lovington, 6 p.m.
Sept. 1: at Santa Teresa, 6 p.m.
Sept. 6: Mayfield, 6 p.m. *
Sept. 10: at Centennial, 3 p.m. *
Sept. 13: at Onate, 6 p.m. *
Sept. 17: Las Cruces, 3 p.m. *
Sept. 20: at Artesia, 6 p.m.
Sept. 22: Roswell, 6 p.m.
Sept. 24: at Gadsden, 3 p.m. *
Sept. 27: Hobbs, 6 p.m. *
Oct. 1: at Mayfield, 3 p.m. *
Oct. 4: Centennial, 6 p.m. *
Oct. 8: Oñate, 6 p.m. *
Oct. 11: at Las Cruces, 6 p.m. *
Oct. 15: at Rio Rancho, 11 a.m.
Oct. 18: Gadsden, 6 p.m. *
Oct. 22: at Hobbs, 3 p.m. *
* = District match
2016 Cavegirls roster
No. 1 Rylee Hoover, junior midfielder
No. 2 Baylee Molina, freshman midfielder/forward
No. 3 Reilly Salness, senior midfielder/forward
No. 4 Ashtin Rhoades, senior midfielder/forward
No. 5 Mariel Gomez, junior defender
No. 6 Madison Austin, senior midfielder
No. 7 Julie Thompson, senior midfielder/forward
No. 8 Journey Page, senior midfielder/forward
No. 9 Jennifer Munro, sophomore defender
No. 10 Mireya Serrano, junior midfielder/defender
No. 11 Taylor Ramirez, freshman midfielder/defender
No. 12 Jensen Leivo, sophomore defender
No. 13 Lauryn Wade, senior forward
No. 15 Taighen Whitzel, freshman defender
No. 16 Emily Hervol, eight grade midfielder/forward
No. 17 Tessa Graham, senior forward
No. 21 Gabby Aragon, sophomore midfielder/defender
No. 22 Hayven Burkeen, junior midfielder/forward
Nyah Chacon, sophomore goalkeeper
Patti Oliver, freshman goalkeeper
Current-Argus Sports Editor Matt Hollinshead may be reached at 575-628-5518.