The St. Anthony Saints are ready to have some fun this season.
“We have a younger team that has a goofy personality,” senior captain Belle Aranda (pictured) said. “We have a lot of goof balls on the team, but when it’s game time we know how to play.”
St. Anthony is coming off its first winning season in four years, and wants to maintain that momentum with a composed passing style of play. Aranda will be the key on offense after scoring 28 goals in 23 games as a junior.
“She is an exceptional talent on the field and a very positive leader off of the field,” coach Brett Minter said.
A solid class of sophomores who contributed last year will certainly impact this season with a lot of starting positions left open. Tatiana Fernandez and Belle Martin will play both defense and midfielder while Leeta Squier and Sofia Montealagre will hold down the midfield.
“Our key newcomers are Riley Gose and Kylee Stockham,” Minter said. “Both of these young ladies love to play the game and have been exceptional teammates. They enjoy the game as well as the camaraderie that comes with being on the team.”
Aranda said she noticed last year that bringing the newcomers along will be key to the Saints success.
“Last season we learned to work together better as a team by communicating with each other,” Aranda said.
“This is a great group of girls and the coaching staff wants them to enjoy playing the game of soccer,” Minter added. “We also want to avoid any serious injuries like the ones we have experienced the last couple of years.”
Aranda said she loves playing at St. Anthony because of the close community atmosphere.
“I like how everyone at St. Anthony comes together and supports each other,” Aranda said. “We get a lot of the boys from the other teams to come and support us.”
Come back tomorrow for the St. Anthony boys’ soccer season preview!
