Tuesday, May. 13, 2008

Similar goal, different feel: Hilmar looks to repeat with new-look club

By JAMES BURNS
jburns@mercedsun-star.com

HILMAR -- When it comes to the beautiful game, Hilmar star Blake Lopes hates to lose.

Even warm-ups have a tendency to turn into a competition with her.

Last Thursday's practice might be a good example.

Straddling the line in the final group of a conditioning drill, the Arizona State-bound senior waited for coach Louie Bettencourt to drop his arm, signaling the start of the 40-yard sprint.

Go!

Lopes was last off the line -- and by the look and sound of it, she wasn't happy.

"You guys cheated!" she grunted as she pushed past her teammates and beat them across the finish line.

"I hate to lose," Lopes admitted later.

Lopes could be in for a rude awakening today as the reigning Sac-Joaquin Section Division V soccer champs open the playoffs with a bull's eye on their backs.

Hilmar will take on Bret Harte, the Mother Lode League's No. 2 seed.

The game will be played in Hilmar's football stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

A win would set up a potential second round meeting against Ripon, the two-time Trans Valley League champions.

The two clubs met in the section final a season ago with Hilmar winning 1-0 on a second-half goal.

"We can't look that far ahead," junior midfielder Lindsey Mendes said. "We're taking it one game at a time.

"But if we keep our heads on straight, we'll be good. We have a lot of talent. We just haven't been too consistent."

Not like last year's team.

That club was the model of consistency, piecing together one of the finest seasons in program history.

They rarely lost.

Lopes likes that.

Hilmar went 24-2-1, won the Western Athletic Conference and didn't drop a game after Feb. 24 -- a string of 22 straight that culminated with a section banner.

"We didn't lose last year, period," Lopes said. "With this year's team, the work ethic is there, but last year's team ... Man, that was it.

"We had to win section. There was pressure there. We felt like we had to do it."

Though they've built an impressive resume -- a 21-4-2 record and three winning streaks of four or more -- the current group is different in just about every way.

Listen to them.

"We lost a lot of players to graduation and sometimes the connection is off," Mendes said. "It's just a different feel. I can't really describe it."

In all, Hilmar graduated eight seniors in 2007, leaving Lopes, Mendes, Haylee Bettencourt and goalie Krystal Gaglio to carry the torch.

The transition hasn't always been smooth.

Hilmar failed to win the WAC, falling twice to eventual champ Central Catholic, and suffering two surprise draws with Patterson and Livingston.

"Those losses to Central were tough to swallow," Mendes said. "But we've sucked it up. We feel good going into the playoffs."

Apprehensive, but good.

"It's been an interesting experience," coach Bettencourt said. "I'm hoping they can step it up and do it in the playoffs. They have the potential.

"There are times, like when we beat Central 5-0, where we looked really good. But they've looked completely different the next time around.

"It seems like sometimes they want to do it and other times they don't."

James Burns is a Sun-Star sports reporter. He can be reached at 385-2417 or via e-mail at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.