Tiara Vasquez scored just two goals as a freshman.
The Panthers senior couldn't remember those two scores, but Harrison coach Katie Goodson remembered the strike in a flashbulb.
Vazquez's two goals came in the same game, a 2-1 win over James Irwin on June 5, 2021 at Memorial Stadium.
Vazquez, this week's peak performer, scored in the final 10 seconds of the first half against the Jaguars.
Vazquez scored again on a free kick with five seconds left in the game, giving the Panthers the victory.
The game was Goodson's first as the Panthers' manager, and the fourth-year coach said, “It was the start of something great.”
“I knew she was special from the first day I met her because her touch on the ball was special,” Goodson said. “She is very humble and never says, ‘Here are my stats.’ When I saw her take a free kick from 35 yards out against James Irwin… that game started the momentum. We've had three winning seasons since then, but Tiara was special.”
Vazquez's play helped the Panthers reach the playoffs for the first time in women's soccer history, and she continues to be a force for Harrison.
In his sophomore and junior seasons, Vazquez scored 12 and 13 goals, respectively, in 26 games.
This season, Vasquez, who plays Thursday at No. 2 Jefferson Academy, ranks fourth in 3A in points with 75 and third in 3A with 34 points in 15 games.
Nine of Vazquez's 34 goals came in a 10-0 win over Pueblo Central on April 13.
“The secret is to train when no one is watching,” Vazquez said. “I always try to work hard on and off the field. My dad has been helping me train since I was 10 years old and it has definitely paid off. Proper touch and conditioning. It takes a lot of technique work, like learning when to do it. There's a lot of work that we do.”
Goodson said one of Vazquez's most impressive traits through her offseason work and on-field struggles is her mentality.
Teams know Vazquez will be a catalyst for the Panthers' offense, but few teams have the tools to stop the senior.
“When I hear someone on the sideline say, 'Stay at 9 o'clock!' I see a smile on her face from the other team,” Goodson said. “That means her turn has come.”
Coach Goodson said the Trojans put three defenders on Vazquez during the April 9 game against Fountain-Fort Carson.
It didn't matter.
“She received the ball in midfield with three defenders and you could see her getting out of there by herself,” Goodson said. “It was amazing. Her tenacity is incredible and she understands that she is the face of Harrison football. Her teammates look up to her and she is humble. She leans into it. Her desire to be great never stops.”
Vazquez said one of his goals is to help the Panthers improve and make it a winning program.
Excluding Thursday's playoff game, the Panthers have a 27-20-4 record in Vazquez's four years with the team, earning a winning record in three consecutive seasons.
From 2009 to 2019, no Panther women's soccer team won more than five games, and no team had a winning record in the decade.
“It makes me very happy to know that I can have an impact on the school and women's soccer,” Vazquez said. “I know they haven't been that great over the years. It's great to be able to help and improve the football team.”
Vazquez's 61 goals in 43 total games with the Panthers is an amazing accomplishment, but she said it's not as important as building Harrison's women's soccer into a winning program.
“It's much more important to get this team into the playoffs,” Vazquez said. “I play with these girls every year and hope and pray and hope that we can make it to the playoffs, even if it's only in the first round. To have these girls who work hard every day and play their hearts out is something that I love. It means more to me than scoring any goal.”
