Alyssa Bracero sees more than just the next shot coming toward the goal. From the back of the field, the Stone Memorial goalkeeper has grown into a leader who uses her perspective, communication and composure to keep the Lady Panthers connected.
Stone Memorial High School junior goalkeeper Alyssa Bracero is anchoring the Lady Panther defense with 85 saves to help lead the team to an 8-3 start this season.
Stone Memorial goalkeeper Alyssa Bracero said she has focused on increasing her confidence and improving her decision-making process on the field. Bracero said she has learned to move past mistakes quickly to ensure that one missed play does not negatively impact the remainder of a game.
“I’ve kind of had to learn to trust myself more and not to just let one mistake affect the rest of my game,” Bracero said. “If you look at how I acted freshman year compared to now, I would kind of take that goal that I let in or that mistake I made to the heart, and now I’ve just kind of had to let it go to the back of my mind, push that next play forward, and I’ve also really tried to work on communicating with my defense and being more of a leader from the goal instead of just a goalkeeper.”
Bracero said her position at the back of the formation allows her to see the entire field and provide a different perspective to her teammates. Bracero said she uses this vantage point to organize the defensive line, identify pressure, and keep the team connected through constant communication.
“As a captain, I want to use my communication to be encouraging and not just tell people what to do,” Bracero said. “It’s important for your team to be confident because if they’re confident you’re going to have a great game.”
Bracero said maintaining composure is vital because the goalkeeper serves as the final line of defense for the team. Bracero said her teammates look to her for stability, and staying calm prevents the rest of the defensive unit from becoming frazzled during high-pressure moments.
“My teammates look up to me for confidence so I want to play calm and also keep everyone focused because without focus we kind of get everyone kind of gets just in a frazzle and if you’re in a frazzle you’re not playing your game,” Bracero said. “And like coach Caitlin says a lot of the time, we need to play Stone Memorial soccer and staying composed is a great way to do that.”
Bracero said she reads opponent attacks by studying body positioning, stride length, and the size of a player’s touches on the ball. Bracero said she actively directs her defenders to watch specific runs and shut potential crosses before a shot is even taken.
“The more I watch the game, the better I’ve gotten at anticipating plays because if you’re just reacting to them, you don’t really stick anything, but the more that you anticipate them the better you’ll be for your next play,” Bracero said.
Bracero said she views her teammates as family and wants to be a reliable leader both on and off the soccer field. Bracero said she intends to continue focusing on her distribution and consistency to put her best foot forward for the program.
“I don’t want to just be a keeper that makes the saves.” Bracero said. “I just want to be someone my team can rely on in every situation on and off the field, because a lot of these girls, all of these girls, they’re my family, you know, we have laughs, we have so many fun memories, and you know, that starts with building friendships.”
