Ryen Ortiz and Laine Lowi are cherishing the last couple of games they have together playing on the San Benito High girls soccer team.
Best friends since preschool, the two will go their separate ways after they graduate, Ortiz to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and Lowi to Ole Miss. The two seniors, along with Isabelle “Izzy” Richert, have been instrumental in the Haybalers’ season.
Lowi and Ortiz grew up playing together on the same club team coached by David Lowi, Laine’s dad. It’s no coincidence the two know what the other player is thinking on the field and play off each other well.
“Our friendship shows because we have good chemistry on the field,” Lowi said.
Said Ortiz: “I’m able to finish off her distribution and vice versa. It just works and it’s crucial to get along with your teammates.”
Indeed, Richert said the team dynamic lends itself to solid, cohesive play.
“Overall, it’s been a really fun year and everyone is super inclusive, which is nice,” she said. “It’s been that way since I got here and we get along really well.”
For Lowi and Richert, it’ll be a particularly emotional time when the season ends. That’s because the two have decided not to pursue soccer in college. For Ortiz, her soccer career will continue as she recently signed a letter of intent to play for Division I program UNC-Greensboro, fulfilling a dream.
A fleet-footed forward on both the soccer and field hockey teams, Ortiz is a physical player who has honed her talent to become a top-notch goal scorer in both sports. While Ortiz knew soccer was going to be the sport she would play at the next level, she said it was difficult having to give up field hockey, a sport she started as a freshman.
“I immediately fell in love with field hockey so it was definitely hard to let it go,” she said. “But I’ve been playing soccer for 11 years and knew it was the way to go.”
Ortiz took an official visit to the UNC campus Jan. 29-30 and fell in love with the environment and team. She said the coaching staff loved her work ethic, physicality and always putting in a max effort. Ortiz possesses a diverse skill set that includes a high soccer IQ, solid dribbling skills and the ability to turn on a moment’s notice and beat a defender one on one.
She credited her club coach, John Slegg, for helping her to jump-start the recruiting process near the end of her junior year. Knowing Ortiz wanted to attend a college out of state, Slegg and Ortiz sent out her highlight video to various coaches two weeks before the start of a premier showcase tournament last July, the Silver Cup in San Diego.
UNC coach Michael Coll was one of the coaches who received the highlight video and was in attendance at the Silver Cup. He saw Ortiz play three games before offering her a spot on the team.
“He (Slegg) definitely hyped me up to college coaches,” Ortiz said. “I definitely think he sugarcoated me a bit, but it looks like coach Coll agreed when he saw me play. Thank gosh I had some good games.”
Ortiz had talked with other college coaches previously, but this was entirely different. Well spoken and insightful, Ortiz admitted she was stumbling for words, a testament to the gravity of the situation.
“I was bewildered and didn’t know what to say because this was the school I was interested in,” she said. “That’s why it was so nerve-wracking, because it was something I really wanted.”
Of course, Ortiz had to do her due diligence in the months ahead and went through the entire recruiting process. Once that happened, she officially signed on Feb. 2. Ortiz knows she’ll probably get a little emotional when it’s time for her to talk during her signing ceremony at San Benito High on Feb. 11.
It’s a supreme accomplishment to go straight from high school to a D-1 program, but Ortiz’s talent has only been exceeded by her drive and competitiveness. Lowi will be at the signing ceremony, of course, and can’t wait to see how Ortiz does in college.
“I am so excited for her and she definitely deserves it,” Lowi said. “She’s worked so hard her whole life to be successful.”
An attacking midfielder, Lowi passes extremely well and averages one to two assists per game. She’s also scored her fair share of goals and both have been rewarding.
“I feel like I’ve been doing pretty good with passing and through balls,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed the season and I think the new formation (4-4-2) we switched to suits us better.”
Richert said one of the highlights of her season was the team’s 1-0 loss to Christopher High on Jan. 27. Even though San Benito lost on a last-minute goal, Richert was proud of the way the team played.
“I felt like that was the best game we’ve had with a lot of communication and playing really well as a whole,” she said.
Lowi said her favorite moment of her career playing with Ortiz was in the team’s 4-0 win over Monta Vista of Cupertino in December. A photo in this publication showed the two embracing each other in a moment of joy.
“That was an awesome photo of me and Ryen hugging,” Lowi said. “It was just really fun winning the game and with me and Ryen passing to each other and scoring goals.”
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com and (831) 886-0471, ext. 3958.
