GOAL-DEN GIRL: Rubio scores 47 goals for playoff-bound Ladies

San Benito Lady Greyhound soccer standout Eva Rubio, a senior, is shown during practice at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Thursday. She has scored 47 goals this season. (Staff photo by Francisco E. Jimenez)

San Benito Lady Greyhound soccer standout Eva Rubio, a senior, is shown during practice at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Thursday. She has scored 47 goals this season. (Staff photo by Francisco E. Jimenez)

Special to the NEWS

Eva Rubio has had little trouble with goals.

That’s been easy to see this season as she’s scored a ton of them—47 to be exact. However, her team aspirations have been spot on, too.

The San Benito senior forward has been a terror on the soccer pitch this season and has been a big part of the Lady ’Hounds returning to the postseason, which begins next week.

“I wanted us to make the playoffs,” Rubio said of her primary wish this season. “Last year I started off with an injury, so this year I wanted to make up for it.”

No doubt about it, she certainly did that and more.

Rubio, a four-year varsity starter for the Lady ’Hounds, has been terrific this season, scoring 47 goals heading into Friday’s regular season finale. That total places her among the scoring leaders in the Valley. She did lead District 31-5A in scoring with her 22 netters during league play.

“She’s one the best offensive threats in the Valley,” Lady ’Hounds varsity assistant coach Eddie Gonzalez said of Rubio. “She’s got all kinds of talent. She’s a hard worker and a good leader for us as well.”

As a junior, Rubio was bothered by a deep bone bruise in one of her knees. It kept her out of the lineup for two months and she never really got to the level she wanted, though she scored 21 goals.

So she made sure that this season would be nothing like last year and it hasn’t been by any stretch.

“In the offseason I played on indoor teams and I worked out on my own,” said Rubio, one of the Lady ’Hounds’ team captains. “I ran and got back into shape. I just had to be better than last year and I think I have been by a lot.”

Along with Lady ’Hounds varsity head coach Frank Ibarra, Gonzalez has witnessed Rubio develop into a soccer sensation. She began playing soccer in seventh grade and Gonzalez was her coach at Miller Jordan Middle School. Eventually, Gonzalez reached the subvarsity and varsity levels and has had Rubio on his clubs the entire time.

“I’ve watched her grow into the players she is,” Gonzalez said. “We worked with her and we knew she had talent. She’s very explosive on the field and can make a lot of plays on her own.”

With San Benito’s season not over yet—the team will face either Los Fresnos or Harlingen South in the 5A bi-district playoffs next week—Rubio has time to reach one more goal.

As a sophomore in 2011, she netted a would-be tying goal in double overtime just before the final buzzer against Harlingen in a playoff match. The goal was nullified, however, and the Lady ’Hounds were eliminated. The loss has stayed with Rubio, who’s vowed to atone for that injustice.

“I’ve always wanted to get that goal back,” she said.

Meanwhile, as a senior, Rubio’s been a leader on and off the field and the younger girls have looked up to her for leadership. But with graduation coming in June, Rubio is cherishing her last shot with her high school club. She’s received offers to play at the next level and is currently in the decision-making process.

“I’m really, really sad since this is the last time I get to play in high school,” said Rubio, who plans to major in kinesiology in hopes of becoming a history teacher/coach. “I’ll miss the competition and my teammates. But I’m hoping to play in college.”

Gonzalez knows that reaching the college ranks is a goal that Rubio can surely reach.

“We’re most definitely sad to see her go but she’s put in her time,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully she’ll get the opportunity to play at the next level and do something she loves which is playing the game of soccer.”

Read this story in the March 24 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/03/22/goal-den-girl-rubio-scores-47-goals-for-playoff-bound-ladies/

2 comments

  1. Good Luck in your future endeavors Miss Rubio…it was great watching you and your temamates play. Hope you come back to San Benito and coach future Greyhound Soccer players.

  2. I guess you could say she will need to play and preform at the college level next week. If she wins the game all by herself No disrepeck to the team efforts you could say she is college level player. She needs to reach that level of play in order to be sure she is ready for college level play makeing high school soccer play a thing of the past and leave the memories far behind to start makeing space for the future goals and challanges that will surely come to be. Have fun!

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