For the record: Talamante The Sun/Rotary Player of Year

The Cibola single-season goals record was nice. But what Nikki Talamante really wanted was a player of the year award. Done and done.

After scoring 45 goals this season - bringing her career total to 91 - the junior forward was named the 2007-08 The Sun/Yuma Rotary Club Girls' Soccer Player of the Year.

Talamante's classmate, Itzel Rodriguez, has snagged most top honors - including Gila Valley Region player of the year and the state coaches 5A-II player of the year.

Rodriguez also won the Sun/Rotary award for the past two years. But after Talamante's offensive onslaught, the award is on her mantle.

"I think it went really good; better than the other two years that I had," Talamante said. "I believe that I accomplished my goal. (I wanted) to win at least player of the year for at least something."

As for the school record - which Rodriguez set last year - Talamante said the mark was the furthest thing from her mind.

"I wasn't even thinking about scoring that many goals," Talamante said. "It just happened. Itzel helped me out a lot and my roommates also. I'm glad I set the school record."

After winning the Gila Valley Region, the Raiders reached the playoffs for the second straight year, losing as they did last year in the first round - although they fell to the eventual state champs, Rincon.

In addition to becoming more aggressive, a playoff win is a goal for Talamante next season.

"I think next year, we're going to have a better advantage to make it to at least the other round," Talamante said.

While 45 goals is never expected, Raider coach Mike Fritz said Talamante has always had that kind of talent with 30 goals last year and 16 in her freshman campaign.

"This wasn't anything out of the blue," Fritz said. "It's not like all of a sudden she started scoring goals - she's been doing it since her freshman year."

And of course, having a player like Rodriguez and her 26 assists doesn't hurt.

"It helps me a lot. So much, you have no idea," Talamante said. "Me and Itzel, we just went great this year."

And Fritz couldn't agree more.

"They both really play off each other, open each other up," he said. "Obviously, having Itzel playing some great balls and other players on our team doing some great things makes it easier to score. But it's difficult to put the ball in the net."

As for what Fritz expects from Talamante next season, he said there's a lot of things more important than goals.

"If we're talking about measuring goals, I'm not sure she'll score that many goals again next year," Fritz said. "You don't always measure how well a person's playing on goals. I expect great things out of her. Her knowledge of the game is growing, which is the most important thing.

"By no means if she doesn't score 45 goals next year would that be a disappointment."