Late afternoon on Friday, McAllen High girls soccer coach Patrick Arney reminisced a bit about his first coaching victory with the Bulldogs 27 years ago.
“It was at PSJA and we only had 13 girls and won 13-0,” he said. “At the time we didn’t move anyone to any other positions because they all knew just one thing.”
Now, 599 wins after that one, he can look back on winning No. 600. Julianna Millin scored all three goals on two assists from Savannah Ruiz and one from Gabby Gonzalez as McHi defeated Sharyland High 3-0 during the Bulldogs senior night.
It was memories all around from the start as they honored the four seniors, Arney and his wife, Deborah, and their daughter Moira Arney. Moira, who wore No. 16 for McHi, died during practice with her club team Aug. 17, 2021. She would’ve been a senior this year.
“It was just a really cool night. I’m lucky that I got a head coaching job so young and have had great bunch of assistant coaches and tons of support,” Arney said. “I think it was just nice, a night shared with the seniors and everyone.”
The program and boosters released 16 white doves in her memory before the game. The doves, once released, flew around McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium four times before heading back toward their destination in Mercedes.
“The doves were really an incredible touch and you just wonder what she (Moira) would be like,” Arney said. “It was such a perfect night.”
Arney is one of the most successful coaches in the state. His McHi teams have won 20 district titles and only once have they been lower than second place at the end of the season.
Millin, a junior and already the all-time leading scorer for the Bulldogs, scored her first goal of the match in the first half and then two more in the second. She leads the Valley in district goals with 43 this season.
“To have a cool finisher like Jules (Millin) is special and for Savannah to get her 100th assist and the way they moved and passed the ball around — it was an all-around special night.”
Ruiz, one of the seniors honored before the game, is the all-time leader in assists for the Bulldogs and showed why on Friday, putting several passes through multiple Sharyland defenders to connect with teammates. She became the first player in McHi girls’ soccer history to collect 100 assists in a career.
The final goal was a perfect showing of the teamwork that Gonzalez, Ruiz and Millin have developed. Ruiz found Gonzalez on one end of the box. Gonzalez then crossed over and delivered a perfect ball across the box and past the goalie. Millin then put her foot out and made it look easy, knocking the ball into the back of the net for her third goal and a 3-0 lead.
Ruiz, Camile Diaz, Maisen Dubrule and the McHi defense swarmed Sharyland’s Yhoalibeth Alvarez, the Rattlers scoring phenom, keeping her touches minimal and then shutting her down whenever she did get a ball, which was rarely in open space. When she did get some freedom, she gave everyone a glimpse of what makes her so dangerous, drubbing through traffic and ripping a shot off, although she had very few chances.
“There’s a difference between great players and other players – there’s a lot of pride, there’s pride on the line,” Arney said. “There’s just something about them – you’re not going to get by me. Maisen is tenacious and she and Cami and Savannah just didn’t give them anything.”
McHi improved to 14-1-2 in District 31-5A and clinched second. McAllen Memorial ended the Bulldogs’ eight-year grip on the district title, beating their city rival twice this season and clinching the crown with a 6-0 win over McAllen Rowe on Friday. Memorial is 14-0-2 this season and has a district-best 107 goals scored.
