Lately, we’ve all experienced the full spectrum of emotions surrounding the consistent string of winter storms that hit week after week. There’s momentary relief for those concerned about the drought-ridden Western Slope, glee for skiers and snowboarders, and disgust for those ready for the sunny days of spring. Spare a thought for the Lady Rams of Roaring Fork High School. They just want to play some soccer.
Higher than average precipitation levels have now canceled two matches on either side of spring break with Valley rival, Basalt. While a wet, cold, muddy game of soccer might sound like good, old-fashioned fun, it’s quite dangerous in reality. So, for now, the Lady Rams will be forced to wait until a sunnier day to face the Lady Longhorns.
This spring, the Lady Rams have a new face at the helm. Roaring Fork Athletic Director Crista Barlow is thrilled to have brought new Head Coach Nicole Cruz into the fold. Hailing from Southern California, Cruz is a 13-year veteran of the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL), and an alumna of Cal State Northridge, who played NCAA Division I ball. Last month, Cruz was kind enough to answer a few questions I had about what she wants to bring to the role:
SS: Who are your soccer heroes?
NC: Mia Hamm was evolutionary for my age group. I was born in 1990 and when the U.S. women won [the World Cup] in 1996, women’s soccer started picking up nationally. I was first a softball player and asked my parents to play in the local AYSO league when I was 10. More recent heroes that I love to watch are Lindsey Horan, Rose Levell, Julie Ertz, Son Heung-min and Declan Rice.
SS: What position did you play?
NC: I was a center back throughout my youth years and in high school. Once I started playing at Cal State Northridge, I transitioned to a center-mid and continued to play center-mid the last 13 years in WPSL.
SS: What has your coaching experience been like?
NC: I was the assistant coach at my alma mater, Thousand Oaks High School, for the girls varsity soccer team for two years and was the assistant coach at Oak Park High School for the boys varsity team for a year. I most recently coached at Roaring Fork United this last summer.
SS: What kind of soccer do you want your teams to play?
NC: I think communication is key. If we can communicate where and how we are supporting teammates on the field, it builds confidence to go forward or backwards and know that we have each other’s back.
SS: What excites you about your team so far?
NC: The whole program has come in with a smile on their face every practice and an eagerness to learn something new each day. I couldn’t have asked for a better group or environment.
SS: Do you have any goals for this first season in the job?
NC: I think I can speak on behalf of the whole coaching staff here and say we are all here to build a community. I love soccer, so to share it with as many people as I can and see that they are enjoying it too, is incredible. We didn’t have a JV team last year, so to see how many girls showed up this season, we want to continue this for years to come. Playing different sports growing up is where I built my confidence and gained life-long friendships.
With a 1-3 record so far, the Lady Rams will have a chance to build positive momentum this afternoon, April 6, at Coal Ridge. For those who want to support Coach Cruz and the Lady Rams, a schedule can be found below:
2023 RFHS Girls Soccer Schedule
April 6, vs. Coal Ridge (Away) – Varsity – 4pm
April 8, vs. CRMS (Home) – Varsity – 1pm
April 13, vs. Moffat County (Home) – Varsity – 6pm
April 14, vs. Manitou Springs (Home) – Varsity – 5pm
April 17, vs. Grand Junction (Home) – Varsity – 6pm
April 20, vs. Eagle Valley (Home) – JV 4pm, Varsity 6pm
April 25, vs. Basalt (Away) – Varsity – 6pm
April 27, vs. Delta (Away) – Varsity – 6pm
April 29, vs. Aspen (Away) – JV only – 11am
May 2, vs. Rifle (Home) – Varsity – 6pm
May 6, vs. Aspen (Home) – JV 11am, Varsity 1pm