While El Reno High School's girls soccer team failed to improve in the win-loss category from a year ago, head coach Laura Graefnitz can see the program is getting more competitive.
“We covered a lot of ground from last year to this year,” Graefnitz said. “Our record was the same, but if you look at the games, they were a lot closer this year.”
El Reno suffered through only four matches in nine this season that ended on the 10-goal mercy rule. The Indians played state-ranked Harrah to a four-goal game, while losing 4-2 to perennial powerhouse Chickasha.
“I think this year really helped the morale of the girls,” Graefnitz said. “They made some huge strides and if we can make the same strides from now to next year, we will be a really competitive team.”
El Reno was 1-8 on the season, with that lone victory being a 7-0 decision over Capitol Hill in District 5A-1 action. The Indians were 1-6 in the league and finished out of the cellar in seventh place.
“This is a very young team,” Graefnitz said. “We lose only three seniors and two of them, this was their first year to play. We have a lot of experience coming back. We will miss those seniors and their leadership, but the talent we have for next year will be very good.”
Graefnitz said the biggest hurdle will be getting more girls out for the program. Many games this season there was not a bench to sub from.
“That has been a problem for two years. We will start out with a lot of girls and then they will either quit for lack of interest or just drop out and never let us know why.
“We have got to have more girls out next year and develop a bench to pull from. Even the very best players in the state cannot play 80 minutes twice a week and expect to play well,” Graefnitz said.
El Reno will return two of its three goal scorers from this season, including forward Vanessa Jones – who scored a team-high five goals. Classmate Mariana De LaTorre scored three goals in the win over the Redskins, while Summer Blackowl scored twice over her senior campaign. Jones closed with three assists on the season, while Erin Wiewel and De LaTorre had one each.
Jones led the team in shots with 36 on the season, followed by De LaTorre's 20 and nine from Blackowl. Wiewel and Haley Hughey closed with five shots each, while Gabby Ponce had two.
Leticia Perez, Kodi Vaughan, Veronica Valencia, Marina Berryhill and Virdiana Rodriquez all had one shot on the year.
Another hurdle for El Reno will be finding a full-time goalie. Sophomore Ke'Shawn McDaniel and Hughey swapped time between the posts, but Graefnitz would like to find a player she can dedicate solely to the keeper slot.
“We need to get a young player that we can develop into a true goalie and not just someone we throw in there,” Graefnitz said. “It's a hard position to play and we need to have someone we can develop and keep back there.”
Hughey ended the season with 55 saves, while McDaniel had 47.