LAILA COLINA-HILLDALE

The Colina name is one that is well-known in soccer circles around Muskogee and Hilldale junior Laila Colina is one of those.

“I come from a very soccer-oriented family that includes my sister, my dad, uncles and cousins that all play or have played, so I was playing soccer almost from the time I could walk,” said Laila who is a co-captain for the Lady Hornets this year. “My dad was my first coach on a team he started that had a lot of the family on it and then I started playing competitive soccer around eight.”

Laila played a number of positions in soccer growing up before she was “recruited” to play goalkeeper because the team didn’t have one in about third grade and she’s been there ever since.

“The hardest thing about playing goalkeeper is mostly mental, knowing that you’re the last line of defense between maybe winning or losing, so you have to have a lot of self-confidence. Defending against penalty kicks is also stressful. My dad taught me to be big on your line, keep moving and make sure they feel the pressure as much as you do. But the kicker definitely has the advantage on a PK, so you just have to decide which way you’re going to jump and go all in. Sometimes, with girls especially, they’ll tip their hand a little by first looking to where they’re going to kick it, so you have to watch their eyes.”

Hilldale has to replace several starters from last year, which makes Laila one of the more experienced players on the team and a team leader.

“I know I’ll be expected to be a leader this year and be a strong communicator as goalkeeper. That means keeping the girls in line on and off the field, reducing team drama and being a big sister to the younger players.”

Laila counts as a highlight a pair of pre-season games last year against bigger Class 5A schools where she had three saves on penalty kicks in one game and Hilldale won both of them.

“This year I would like to get seven or eight shutouts as a goal,” said Laila who is in student council, NHS and Teens for Christ.