Neuqua Valley freshman forward Alexis May was cautiously optimistic about her chances of making the varsity team.
But she made every effort to impress first-year coach Arnoldo Gonzalez.
“I was hoping for it,” May said. “I still had nerves, but I just played my hardest. I was really excited that I did (make it).”
May and midfielder Allessandra Russo are the only freshmen on the roster, and both are making an immediate impact. Russo is already in the starting lineup, and May is making hay coming off the bench.
“She’s a natural forward, but she also likes to come in as an attacking midfielder, and she’s good at it,” Gonzalez said of May. “She can see the field, but she also likes to go wide.
“She can definitely add to the attack, either coming out of the middle or from the outside.”
May demonstrated that Saturday when she scored her first career goal with 2:03 left in the second half against Batavia. The tally completed the Wildcats’ rally from a two-goal deficit, although the host Bulldogs got a goal from Avery Solomon with 15 seconds left to win 4-3.
May alertly took advantage of a scrum in front of the net, corralling a bouncing ball and smartly booting it in the back of the net to tie the game at 3-3.
“I just saw Selma (Larbi) going for it,” May said. “She collided with the goalie a little bit, so it kind of gave me an open shot. So I just placed it right in the net.
“It felt pretty good. I was really excited. It meant we were back in the game.”
Larbi, who had scored off an assist from fellow sophomore forward Safa Jeffery to pull the Wildcats (1-2) within 2-1 with 30:27 remaining, was thrilled to see May score against Batavia (3-2).
“I’m happy for her,” Larbi said. “She doesn’t let up, and she’s not afraid. When you’re a freshman, sometimes it takes time to warm up. But it’s been three games, and she’s already doing great things, scoring and making runs and doing everything she needs to do.”
May said she has made a seamless adjustment to high school soccer.
“It’s been good,” May said. “I like the team a lot. They’re all so nice, and they help me. They really guide me and give me tips.”
May has a mentor of sorts in Larbi, who can relate to what May is going through this season. As a freshman, Larbi was Neuqua Valley’s second-leading scorer with nine goals, two of which came in a 3-1 upset of top-seeded Naperville Central in a regional final.
“I check in with her on the field,” Larbi said. “I just try and talk to her and see if her mind is clear, making sure she’s not letting the game get too big for her just because she’s a freshman.”
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Taking on older defenders isn’t easy for a freshman attacker, but May said she is determined to succeed.
“I think my strengths are making runs and finding the open player,” she said. “I like to create options but also making my runs and finding that shot.
“I’m hungrier for more wins and more goals.”
Gonzalez is confident May will help the Wildcats get plenty of both.
“She has a bright future,” Gonzalez said. “We’re just taking it a bit at a time. We don’t want to overwhelm her. We don’t want to put all that pressure on her, but she’s doing a very nice job.
“You can imagine what we’ve got coming our way.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
