Thursday, October 1, 2026
Last season was one to remember for Freeport girls soccer.
In her second year as coach and third season with the school, Lauren Gates-McGee guided the Red Devils to a 9-5-2 record and a third-place finish in Conference AAA. Her peers certainly recognized that accomplishment and named her the Conference AAA Coach of the Year.
“That was a tremendous honor for me as a first-time varsity coach,” Gates-McGee said.
This season, the Red Devils are off to a 1-2 start, falling to Valley Stream Central, 4-0, and Great Neck North, 3-2, before shutting out Hempstead, 5-0, for their first victory of the season.
“We have finally found our secret sauce in regards to finding out where all of the puzzle pieces fit,” Gates-McGee said.
Helping out Gates-McGee on the bench for the second straight season is assistant coach Sarah Campbell.
“She keeps me grounded,” Gates-McGee said. “She’s an extra pair of eyes and thought partner for me.”
While Freeport lost six seniors, it has assembled an outstanding club again this season.
Leading the way is sophomore forward and captain Jerelyn Arevalo who has been with the team since eighth grade. Last season, she set a Freeport single-season scoring record with 17 goals and 9 assists.
“She’s one of our core players,” Gates-McGree said. “She’s not just a presence on the stat board but also a leader on our team.”
Freeport’s other captain is center midfielder Sabrina Ligonde who also plays basketball. “Her biggest contributions would be vision of the field and calmness to set the pace of the game for us,” Gates-McGee said.
Freeport’s midfield is also anchored by a pair of freshmen, Khloe Salcedo and Wendy Villeda. Salcedo is a central midfielder while Villeda is on the outside.
“Khloe is just a hungry kid and a technical kid,” Gates-McGee said. “Wendy’s hunger to attack is really going to be a huge asset for us.”
On the back end, the Red Devils are led by junior goalkeeper Juliet Melo Guatemala who has come up with some huge saves so far this season. “She’s an outstanding goalkeeper who has really evolved over the last two years,” Gates-McGhee said.
In front of Guatemala is a trio of talented defenders, sophomores Cristel Requena Ramos and Haydee Gamboa Velasquez along with junior Anny Urquia Gutierrez.
The Red Devils will look to even their record when they return to the pitch this Friday when they host Malverne/East Rockaway, one of the schools expected to compete for the Conference AA title.
“We’re looking forward to facing Malverne (on Friday),” Gates-McGee said. “I’m really excited to see the work that our girls have put in since tryouts to get that team chemistry going together.”
After Malverne/East Rockaway, the Red Devils visit Elmont on Sept. 22.
Last season, Freeport grew into a conference contender and now in 2026, it looks to move up the ladder and continue to make some noise.
