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ALBIA — No player that has ever worn an Ottumwa girls soccer uniform has been responsible for more goals than Mia Garza-Trejo.
On Monday, Aaliyah Garza showed glimpses of following in the footsteps of her older sister. The Bulldog freshman scored her first two high school varsity goals in the final 10 minutes of a thrilling battle with Albia, erasing a late lead for the Lady Dees while securing Ottumwa's first win of the season as a penalty kick with 40.5 seconds left lifted the Bulldogs to a 3-2 victory allowing Ottumwa to avoid an 0-3 start the 2025 campaign.
"The adrenaline was kicking and the whole team was fighting their hardest to give their last 10 minutes and we made it happen at the end," Garza said. "I'm so glad we got the win coming off last week not winning one of our first two matches. We came into this week determined to win."
Garza showed that determination late in the match as Ottumwa, despite owning a decisive advantage in time of possession and total shots, trailed 2-1. The Bulldogs turned up the pressure, resulting in more consistent scoring chances with numerous opportunities to erase Albia's slim lead.
Finally, after forcing Lady Dee goalie Madeline Van Loon to make her 16th save of the match, Garza jumped on a goal kick picking off the ball within 20 yards of the net. Rather than taking a quick strike, the Bulldog freshman dribbled to the end line and moved in on the goal sneaking a shot over Van Loon into the corner of the net to tie the match at 2-2 with exactly 10 minutes left.
"Aaliyah started recognizing where the kicks were going and she started winning them," Ottumwa head girls soccer coach Matthew Erlandson said. "I don't know how she found the space, but she found the space to right on the near post and put it in."
Having moved into position to avoid their third straight loss, the Bulldogs turned their focus on earning their first win in the final 10 minutes. Ottumwa thwarted a pair of runs by Albia into OHS territory and continued to press their advantage on the other side of the field.
Finally, with time running down, the Bulldogs forced the Lady Dees into committing their ninth foul of the match. This one, in the box, set up a penalty kick which Garza buried into the far corner clinching Ottumwa's hard-fought first win.
"It was very important. I was so determined to score a goal and win the game," Garza said. "I didn't expect to get past the girls on that first goal. It was pretty nerve-racking on the second goal. I didn't think I was going to make it, but I got it in my mind that I had to make it. We just decided at the end not to give up."
Garza matched Ilana Vasconez by scoring her second goal of the season to lead the Bulldogs on the last-minute penalty kick, following in the footsteps of her sister. Mia Garza-Trejo set a program record last year by scoring a team-leading 24 goals, helping Ottumwa girls soccer secure the program's first winning season, and finished her career scoring a program-record 57 goals while adding 29 assists.
"It's very challenging because Mia left some pretty big shoes to fill," Garza said. "If I'm determined to win like she was, maybe I can be as great as she was."
Morgan Teno scored both goals for Albia in the first half, each time giving the Lady Dees a one-goal lead. After opening the season with a 6-0 win over South Central Conference rival Clarke, the Lady Dees have lost consecutive one-goal match on late-match goals having entered Monday off a 2-1 loss at Pella Christian clinched by Eshter Ford's tiebreaking goal for the Eagles with just over 12 minutes left.
"I think the expectations are higher from this group," Albia girls soccer coach Tony Kurimski said. "Our girls are disappointed. They expect better out of themselves. We're excited to see how they rebound. You love to see that competitive drive. They know they're capable of more and can do a little better."
Both Ottumwa and Albia take 1-2 records into action on Tuesday night for home matches. The Bulldogs open Iowa Alliance Conference south division play against Des Moines East at Schafer Stadium while the Lady Dees play host to Colfax-Mingo.
Continue reading...
On Monday, Aaliyah Garza showed glimpses of following in the footsteps of her older sister. The Bulldog freshman scored her first two high school varsity goals in the final 10 minutes of a thrilling battle with Albia, erasing a late lead for the Lady Dees while securing Ottumwa's first win of the season as a penalty kick with 40.5 seconds left lifted the Bulldogs to a 3-2 victory allowing Ottumwa to avoid an 0-3 start the 2025 campaign.
"The adrenaline was kicking and the whole team was fighting their hardest to give their last 10 minutes and we made it happen at the end," Garza said. "I'm so glad we got the win coming off last week not winning one of our first two matches. We came into this week determined to win."
Garza showed that determination late in the match as Ottumwa, despite owning a decisive advantage in time of possession and total shots, trailed 2-1. The Bulldogs turned up the pressure, resulting in more consistent scoring chances with numerous opportunities to erase Albia's slim lead.
Finally, after forcing Lady Dee goalie Madeline Van Loon to make her 16th save of the match, Garza jumped on a goal kick picking off the ball within 20 yards of the net. Rather than taking a quick strike, the Bulldog freshman dribbled to the end line and moved in on the goal sneaking a shot over Van Loon into the corner of the net to tie the match at 2-2 with exactly 10 minutes left.
"Aaliyah started recognizing where the kicks were going and she started winning them," Ottumwa head girls soccer coach Matthew Erlandson said. "I don't know how she found the space, but she found the space to right on the near post and put it in."
Having moved into position to avoid their third straight loss, the Bulldogs turned their focus on earning their first win in the final 10 minutes. Ottumwa thwarted a pair of runs by Albia into OHS territory and continued to press their advantage on the other side of the field.
Finally, with time running down, the Bulldogs forced the Lady Dees into committing their ninth foul of the match. This one, in the box, set up a penalty kick which Garza buried into the far corner clinching Ottumwa's hard-fought first win.
"It was very important. I was so determined to score a goal and win the game," Garza said. "I didn't expect to get past the girls on that first goal. It was pretty nerve-racking on the second goal. I didn't think I was going to make it, but I got it in my mind that I had to make it. We just decided at the end not to give up."
Garza matched Ilana Vasconez by scoring her second goal of the season to lead the Bulldogs on the last-minute penalty kick, following in the footsteps of her sister. Mia Garza-Trejo set a program record last year by scoring a team-leading 24 goals, helping Ottumwa girls soccer secure the program's first winning season, and finished her career scoring a program-record 57 goals while adding 29 assists.
"It's very challenging because Mia left some pretty big shoes to fill," Garza said. "If I'm determined to win like she was, maybe I can be as great as she was."
Morgan Teno scored both goals for Albia in the first half, each time giving the Lady Dees a one-goal lead. After opening the season with a 6-0 win over South Central Conference rival Clarke, the Lady Dees have lost consecutive one-goal match on late-match goals having entered Monday off a 2-1 loss at Pella Christian clinched by Eshter Ford's tiebreaking goal for the Eagles with just over 12 minutes left.
"I think the expectations are higher from this group," Albia girls soccer coach Tony Kurimski said. "Our girls are disappointed. They expect better out of themselves. We're excited to see how they rebound. You love to see that competitive drive. They know they're capable of more and can do a little better."
Both Ottumwa and Albia take 1-2 records into action on Tuesday night for home matches. The Bulldogs open Iowa Alliance Conference south division play against Des Moines East at Schafer Stadium while the Lady Dees play host to Colfax-Mingo.
Continue reading...
