Vaqueros are hoping new home will be sweet

At last, they can enjoy a true home-field advantage.

Thanks to about $4 million spent on field improvements, the

Glendale Community College women’s soccer team -- along with the

men’s soccer and football teams -- will finally play matches on its

home campus after years of playing on off-campus fields that didn’t

offer a cozy environment.

With a new field -- the Vaqueros played their home games at the

Glendale Sports Complex the past several seasons -- the women’s

soccer team will look to use it to its advantage with a perfect blend

of speed and depth. The team’s personality should also look brighter,

barring injuries.

“It’s going to be good being able to finally practice and play

matches at home,” Glendale College Coach Jorge Mena said. “I’m not

afraid to say that we’ll be a pretty good team, but staying away from

injuries will be a very big key.

“We had problems right away last season with injuries, and it’s

something you just don’t have any control over.”

Provided the Vaqueros (10-6-1 and 4-5-1 in the Western State

Conference Southern Division last season) can avoid the injury bug,

they will have athletes who can play at least two positions to help

make the transition for a playoff run smoother. Glendale College last

made the postseason in 2002, when it fell to Orange Coast College,

5-1, in the first-round of the Southern California Regionals.

Glendale College, which will open its season with a nonconference

road match against El Camino College on Aug. 30, will return just six

players to its 18-member squad. Versatility should keep the Vaqueros

in contention for a postseason berth.

“You want versatility because it can make you smarter,” said Mena,

who was named the conference’s Southern Division Coach of the Year in

2002. “That can make you more competitive and help you inch closer

and closer to the playoffs.

“It’s a good sign that we have a lot of freshmen on board.”

One of the returning sophomores will be goalkeeper Melody

Mawhinney. The Crescenta Valley High graduate earned All-Conference

second-team honors last season.

Mawhinney, who was a member of the unseeded Crescenta Valley team

that advanced to the championship game of the CIF Southern Section

Division II playoffs in 2002, said the Vaqueros will show plenty of

energy.

“It’s a really good team with a lot of potential,” Mawhinney said.

“It’s a team that looks like a high-level team from where I’m

standing. Our offense should be awesome, because we have some

playmakers.

Mawhinney will mostly handle the goalkeeping chores, though Hoover

High graduate Cristina Reyes and Brenda Romero can capably back up

Mawhinney.

The defense will feature Estrella Andrino, Elizabeth Arreola,

Yesenia Rodriguez, Rosario Contreras and Rosales Idania. The

midfielders are expected to be Jocelyn Arroyo, Bibiana Bustamante,

Angie Esmaili, Roxana Garcia, Nada Manzo, Liliana Morales and Edilma

Perez.

Morales was a key player for the Burbank High girls’ soccer team

last season and should provide a transition in leading Glendale

College’s transition from defense to offense. Garcia and Perez

picked up All-Conference second-team honors last season.

The forwards will consist of sophomore Jennifer Barrientos and

freshmen Claudia Cifuentes and Janet DeLao.