Until Friday night, girls soccer had not defeated New Braunfels since the 2017-18 season, and the Unicorns consistently joined Canyon atop District 27-6A leaderboard. 

With a final score of 5-2, the Rangers set the tone for the rest of the season, overcoming adversity set by the Unicorns’ aggression as well as hostility between the coaches and referees.  

Living the principles of heart, effort, attitude and discipline, coach Jason Adkins’ girls soccer program now takes on District 27-6A with masks up and cleats on.

The team is composed of younger faces: only four seniors on the roster, compared to last year’s eight. 

“I am excited to see how we gel together,” Adkins said. 

The forwards’ speed and their ability to score as quickly was on display in the Ranger Classic when they scored three goals within 15 minutes coming out of halftime against MacArthur.

 “We are more built on speed and endurance, as opposed to size,” Adkins said, “so we work on our transition and how we transition in games to use our speed to our advantage.”

Though he considers all players to be key contributors, he identified those who could be especially vital for the season’s success.

“I think Mel (Martinez, goalkeeper)  is huge for us,” he said, “Helene Farris will be huge for us, Kendall Spillman, Taylor Swenson, Abby Keefe, forwards like Jewel Mann, Sabrina Taber, Jade Castillo  – all of them will be hugely important. Everyone is key for us and everyone will be able to impact the team as the season goes on.”

Prior to Friday night’s matchup against long-standing rival New Braunfels, Adkins emphasized the importance of playing all teams with an equal mentality.

“New Braunfels and us were second and third in the standings last year and they are a big rival for us, but we play everybody the same,” he said. “We don’t like to think of a single opponent as a must-win. We look at every team as a must-win.”