As the girl’s soccer season comes to a close, here is a look at the seniors from this season. These veteran players are leaders and have taken the initiative to build a better team and atmosphere. With strong individual performances and working together as a team, they have been vital components to the success of the girl’s soccer team, with the team winning the city and district championships and now going to regionals.

• Cristal Zurita (12), Central Attacking Midfielder

Zrita has been playing soccer for nine years for school and for club Lobos Rush. Balancing soccer with school is a vital part of her life. She plans to play soccer at the collegiate level after high school. Playing as a central attacking midfielder requires a great amount of stamina. Zrita is everywhere on the pitch, moving up with the forward players and dropping back to defend when necessary. Zrita focuses on passing the ball forward and ball control, dribbling past defenders, looking to create goal-scoring opportunities. Zrita focuses on finding those passes to open up the defense, which requires great vision and creativity; similar to her favorite player Luka Modric, another midfielder who plays for Real Madrid in Spain.

• Nataly Valdivia (12), Right Winger

Valdivia played soccer from the ages of 6-9. Following a long hiatus from the sport, she made her way back onto the Lady Spartan Soccer team her sophomore year. Valdivia plays as a right winger, operating similarly to a central attacking midfielder; running up and down the pitch, attacking and defending, covering teammates’ positions and trying to drive the ball toward the strikers. Looking up to world-class right-wingers such as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, and watching her brother’s soccer games have driven her to become more physical and pacey in her game. “I picked soccer back up again because I missed it,” Valdivia said. “It’s just a sport I really enjoy playing. I liked the physical contact of it, but it also has a lot of running and a lot of techniques. Although it looks really easy, it’s more than that. It takes practice and you have to stay consistent.”

• Ava Parks (12), Left Midfielder

Parks has been playing soccer since she was five years old. Starting out in church leagues, Parks fell in love with the sport. Soccer has given her a community to thrive amongst others who have a passion for the sport like her. With numerous games and practices, soccer keeps Parks busy after school. Park looks up to United States Women’s National Team players Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan. As a left midfielder, she focuses more on passing the ball to progress toward the goal, running up the wings of the field to make herself available for passes and sending crosses into the penalty box for goal-scoring opportunities for her strikers.