Patience paid off for Mata at Pace this season

It was worth the wait for Pace girls soccer coach Valentin Mata.

Mata guided the Viqueens to the state playoffs for the first time this season in their 11th year of play-ing UIL girls soccer.

Mata, The Brownsville Herald's 2008 All-Metro girls soccer coach of the year, has been Pace's coach for all 11 years. The Viqueens came close to making the playoffs before, but were never quite able to put together a breakthrough season like the one they enjoyed this year.

"It was definitely well worth the wait," Mata said. "I coached our team this year the same way I have be-fore, so to me, it proves the point that it's not so much the coaching, it's having a talented group of play-ers, and that's what can make the difference.

"We were blessed with a good group of girls, they carried out our instructions, and of course, it worked out for us," he added. "If you get an award (such as coach of the year), it's all because of the players you have. I firmly believe that."

Mata said he has coached for 32 years, including 20 years on the high school level. This year marked the first time he took a team to the playoffs as a head coach.

"The wait was worth every minute," he said. "To be perfectly honest with you, I have no regrets. But I'm hoping that I don't have to wait as long for my next playoff trip, and I don't think I will have to because of the talented, young group we have right now. I'm looking forward to better things for these girls in the immediate future."

Fielding a squad with only two senior starters, the Pace girls went 20-10-1 overall this season with a 9-4-1 mark in District 32-5A that was good enough for a second-place finish behind district champion San Benito (10-2-2).

The Viqueens edged Edinburg High 1-0 on the road in bi-district and were the only 32-5A team to ad-vance beyond the first round of the playoffs. Pace suffered a season-ending 1-0 loss in a shootout against McAllen Rowe in the second round on March 28.

Mata said the expectations will be even greater for the Viqueens next season.

"I told the girls that next year we'll be walking around with an even bigger target on our backs," he said. "We won't be able to sit back and just expect things to happen for us because of what we did this season. We'll have to fight that much harder.

"It's easy to get to the top, but it's a lot harder to stay up there," he added. "That's what I've been trying to impress upon our girls since the season ended."

Mata said he believes the credit for receiving his coach of the year honor extends beyond his players to his coaching staff as well.

Mata said he appreciates all the help he has received from assistants Efrain Lopez and Carlos Sandoval plus managers Roger Infante and Victor Gomez along with filmer Martin Sepulveda.

"Everyone's had a part in our success," he said.