Girls’ Soccer Dream Team: Barrios helped the Eagles soar
In four years of varsity girls’ soccer for Estancia High, Alba Barrios was always a fighter on the pitch.
The senior midfielder and co-captain was fiery. Anyone who watched the Eagles’ games would understand Coach Jessica Perry calling Barrios the heart of the team.
But Barrios was reduced to tears in the first half of Estancia’s CIF Southern Section Division 5 second-round playoff game at Ontario Colony, and it had nothing to do with the action on the field. She received a great surprise that she wasn’t expecting.
“My dad [Carlos] told me he couldn’t make it because he had work, and I was kind of bummed out,” Alba Barrios said. “He texted me before the game, encouraging me. We start the game, I don’t see him. Maybe 10 minutes into the game, I hear one of his whistles. I turn to the crowd and he just starts waving, and I just started crying during the middle of the game.
“Tears were running down my face. I was really happy he made it ... I’ve always wanted to make my parents proud.”
Carlos and Evelyn Barrios have always wanted a better life for their children, which was why they immigrated from Guatemala more than 20 years ago. Both of them are trying to become U.S. citizens within this year, Alba Barrios said, because their residency will expire at the end of the year.
“My parents work a lot,” Alba said of Carlos and Evelyn, who work in construction and as a housekeeper respectively. “Hopefully they can get [their citizenship] soon. They try to practice their English a lot at home with us.”
Money can be tight in the household, as Alba is the middle child of five siblings. That’s one reason why it was big when Alba signed with Cal State Fullerton, the Eagles’ first NCAA Division 1 signee in Perry’s seven-year tenure.
In terms of making her parents proud, she is certainly accomplishing that goal.
The unselfish Barrios earned Orange Coast League MVP and All-CIF Southern Section Division 5 honors this year for Estancia after scoring two goals and dishing out seven assists. She helped Estancia (19-4-3) earn a share of the Orange Coast League title, not a small feat with Calvary Chapel and Laguna Beach competing at a high level this season, and advance to the second round of the Division 5 playoffs.
Now she can add another honor to the list. Barrios is the 2014-15 Newport-Mesa Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year.
The decision went beyond the talent on the field, which was obvious, to the intangibles. Her leadership was invaluable for the Eagles, as part of a strong senior class that included twins Caitlin and Sarah Leahy, Alondra Guzman and Gianna Guyot.
“A lot of my teammates did tell me that they appreciated me being a good leader,” Barrios said. “On the field, I would stick into every tackle. I would do it all for my teammates. I mean, I would do it for them, and they would do it for me. It’s so much easier to play for a team where every single player cares for each other, and every single player will give it their 100% for each other. It’s just that much easier to go out there and work your butt off when everyone’s on the same page.”
Barrios would often text words of encouragement to her teammates during the season. She did it for Bryanna Perez, after the sophomore scored a goal in Estancia’s big road win against Calvary Chapel in league.
After the playoff loss at Colony, she said some of those teammates returned the favor.
“Everyone was just like, ‘Alba, these four years have been amazing,’” she said. “It was emotional for me because it was like, ‘Wow, it’s over.’ Everything that I did on the soccer team was because I was really passionate about it. I have so much passion for winning, for my school and my teammates that it just came naturally to me. My teammates are a lot like my sisters. The role I played, I just did what I would expect to be done to me. It wasn’t just about me being captain. I just tried to play my role.”
The golden rule has meaning to Barrios. Her play certainly had meaning for the Eagles.
“You can’t replace the heart she brings to the game,” Perry said. “I think every girl on the team knew how much she cared about soccer, and the team. Not only was she great on the field, but she was great off the field.”
Barrios said she’s happy with the legacy she’s leaving. She pointed to Estancia playing a competitive scrimmage against Corona del Mar this season, as well as beating Newport Harbor, as things that meant a lot to her.
She’s also glad that she’s staying close to home at Cal State Fullerton, which means her family can watch plenty of her games.
“I’m super-close with my family,” said Barrios, who continues to give everyone reason to be proud of her.
Here’s a look at the other 12 members of the 2014-15 Newport-Mesa Girls’ Soccer Dream Team:
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Shelby Brown
Corona del Mar
Brown, the 2013-14 Newport-Mesa Player of the Year, had a good encore performance for the Sea Kings. The senior midfielder and co-captain, bound for Southern Methodist University, had team-highs of eight goals and four assists. Known for being lethal on set pieces, Brown helped CdM (10-8-3) finish tied for second in the Pacific Coast League and advance to the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. Brown was a first-team All-Pacific Coast League selection, as well as an All-CIF selection for Division 2.
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Lexi Magliarditi
Sage Hill
Magliarditi moved to Newport Beach form Las Vegas to play club soccer with Slammers FC, but she certainly left her mark for Sage Hill as well. The junior forward set a program single-season record with 32 goals, which ranked first in Newport-Mesa and second in Orange County. It included a single-game record nine goals in a league game against Calvary Chapel Downey. Magliarditi, a Duke commit, helped Sage Hill (15-5-2, 10-0 in league) win league for the second time in program history and advance to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs. She was an All-CIF selection for Division 4.
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Brooke Zachry
Newport Harbor
The senior defender and team captain was a leader for the Sailors. Coach Larry Draluck credited Zachry for being organized, and a good distributor of the ball. She helped Newport Harbor (6-17-1, 3-6-1 in league) stay competitive in the tough Sunset League, losing just one game by more than one goal as well as allowing more than two goals just once in league. Zachry was a first-team All-Sunset League selection.
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Regina Ranieri
Costa Mesa
Ranieri, a sophomore center back, rarely came off the field before a knee injury suffered against Godinez forced her to miss the last two weeks of the season. She was a leader for the Mustangs (6-14-2, 1-8-1 in league), earning first-team All-Orange Coast League honors. Mesa was young this year, with just three contributing seniors and one junior, but Ranieri said she hopes to guide the Mustangs back to prominence by her senior year.
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Alondra Guzman
Estancia
Guzman was a quiet leader for the Eagles. The senior forward and four-year varsity player was certainly able to find the back of the net, leading Estancia with 10 goals and eight assists. Known as a very hard worker, Guzman was fantastic on the ball and able to both score and dish it when necessary. She was a first-team All-Orange Coast League selection.
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Hailey Neumann
Corona del Mar
Neumann, a sophomore center back, joined the Sea Kings at the end of the Sunny Hills tournament. A physical ball-winner and high-level club player, Neumann stabilized the defense that was hurt when center back Brianna Westrup decided to play basketball this year, as well as when senior co-captain and defender Brynn Motal suffered a season-ending knee injury in league play. Neumann was a first-team All-Pacific Coast League selection.
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Claire Novotny
Sage Hill
Novotny, the Academy League MVP, proved clutch for the Lightning. The junior forward tallied 15 goals and a team-best 13 assists for the Lightning. Assisted by her younger sister Maile, the co-captain scored late in Sage’s 1-0 league win over St. Margaret’s, helping the Lightning eventually win league for the second time in program history. Novotny, a Grand Canyon University commit, is a repeat Dream Team selection for Sage Hill.
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Caitlin Leahy
Estancia
Leahy was a four-year starter in goal for the Eagles, only missing games early in the season when there was a club conflict. The senior was a big reason why Estancia recorded 18 shutouts and allowed just 14 goals all season. The Eagles will miss the steady play of Leahy and her twin sister Sarah. Caitlin was a first-team All-Orange Coast League selection.
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Christina Venturini
Corona del Mar
Coach Bryan Middleton knew he could depend on Venturini, who is nicknamed “Peanut.” The sophomore left defender was a rock, as she did not miss a game or practice all year, Middleton said, and never complained. Look for her to continue to be a key part of the CdM defense for the next two years. Venturini was a second-team All-Pacific Coast League selection.
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Kekai Whitford
Sage Hill
Whitford, the Dream Team Player of the Year in volleyball and headed to Loyola Marymount in that sport, decided to come back out for her senior year in soccer. The Lightning were glad that she returned as goalie in December, as she was the anchor of a defense that did not allow a goal in Academy League play. Whitford, a first-team All-Academy League selection, allowed just two goals all season and made 57 saves. She is a three-time Dream Team selection in soccer.
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Samantha Falasco
Estancia
Falasco could play anywhere for the Eagles, but Perry mostly used the junior as a center back on defense because that’s where the team needed her most. The fact that Falasco was still able to score nine goals is a credit to her overall talent. Falasco, a Maryland commit, was a first-team All-Orange Coast League selection. She’s also a repeat Dream Team pick.
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Tiffany Taylor
Sage Hill
Taylor may have been small in stature, but the junior center back was quick and athletic and a good ball-winner for the Lightning. Taylor, fellow center back Rachael Jaffe and Whitford were key components of a Lightning defense that did not allow a goal in Academy League play. Taylor was a first-team All-Academy League selection.
