Big stops
Edinburg North’s Santana named The Monitor’s Goalie of the Year
BY HENRY MILLER
STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Belen Santana learned at an early age what it means to “step up” for her team.
While in eighth grade when coaches asked who wanted to play in goal, there were no immediate takers — and then Santana came forward.
Now, the Edinburg North junior is The Monitor’s All-Area Girls Soccer Goalie of the Year.
“I enjoyed it right from the beginning,” Santana said. “I was never really afraid of the ball, and I’m pretty aggressive.”
Santana made a habit of showing up when the Cougars needed her most. During the 13th game of an 18-game season and a tight district race, Santana made two crucial saves during PKs after a 1-1 tie through regulation with city rival and District 31-6A power Edinburg Vela. Those saves were enough to give North the victory and two of the three available points.
It also came on her 17th birthday.
“It was a good feeling to beat our rivals and for me to play a big part in that,” she said. “That’s something you can get (as a birthday gift).”
North finished the regular season with 30 points, tied for third with Edinburg Economedes and one point ahead of Edinburg High, for the fourth and final district playoff spot. North went on a run after that match, winning four of its next five games – three by shutouts. The only loss came to district champion La Joya Juarez-Lincoln.
Santana, who compiled 73 saves and five clean sheets during the season, attributed much of her and her team’s success to communicating — and a no-fear mentality.
“If you don’t communicate you won’t win, so I would talk to them as much as possible and they would communicate with me as well,” she said.
“When I’m in a 1-on-1 situation, I don’t get scared — I get that typical adrenaline kicking in. I start thinking about what I can do to be in the best position to block a shot and watch the player to see their body language, to see if they’re scared and if they’ve moved a little too far one way to know when to come out completely.”
She’s also overcome the fear or worries of giving up a PK.
“I used to get scared of those, but over time I accepted the fact that you can’t save them all,” she said. “I’m usually calm now and realize you can’t do much sometimes about a heck of a shot. You can’t save them all. I just honestly wait for them to shoot and let my reactions do the rest.”
Her plans as she prepares for her senior year are to work on her jumping, both vertically and horizontally, to be able to reach farther and increase her vertical to stop more high balls.
“Goal is first to pass my classes to keep playing but also hopefully to get a scholarship,” she said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can on my flaws and, hopefully, get on a travel team, to get noticed.”
