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Teran didn’t know if it was the right fit, however, and ended up not playing with FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ last year. She instead went on to Metropolitan State University of Denver, where the 19-year-old appeared in 17 games (10 starts) and logged 834 minutes in her freshman season.

A month before this season started, FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ named Salpointe coach Kelly Pierce as the club’s new head coach, replacing Amy Garelick – FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women’s only head coach during its first six seasons.

The new coach reached out to her former player and this time Teran felt she should play with her hometown team.

“I was thinking of just practicing on my own this summer, but seeing her and Sue (Torres) – I just had to take care of the opportunity,� Teran said.

Because the staff change happened so close to the start of the season, Pierce said the club was looking at this season as a rebuilding year.

But it has been anything but.

The FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women close out their season Tuesday against in-state rival Phoenix Del Sol at 7:30 p.m. at the Kino Sports Complex.

The FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women (5-1-1) had postseason hopes heading into last week, and then went out and beat Players SC 2-0 on the road Saturday.

The win wasn’t enough. Albuquerque FC (6-1-1) has clinched the Pac South Conference Desert Division. Albuquerque FC has 19 points — three more than FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ — and owns the tiebreaker between the two teams if they both finish with 6-1-1 records.

Only the division champion is set to advance to playoffs.

The last time FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women played Phoenix Del Sol, the game resulted in a 3-3 draw on June 14. But that game was on the road.

Maury Urcadez has been part of the club since its inception. The 22-year-old, who considers herself retired from soccer, is very familiar with the team’s rival. It seems games between both clubs always result in tight contests and ties.

Tuesday should be no different.

“This has been a rivalry since it started — they’re Phoenix, we’re ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥,â€� Urcadez said. “It’s always us going at each other. So, it’s going to be really competitive, plus we’re playing at home. The fans go crazy. It’s just going to be crazy, in a good way.â€�

Although the season is ending sooner than the team would have liked, the players attribute their success to first-year coach Pierce.

Teran, Urcadez and Mykaylin Rosenquist — who last played for FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women in 2015 — all said they really like Pierce’s coaching style and the way it has improved the team.

Pierce is relatable while not being too relaxed or too wound up, Rosenquist said.

“I think she’s done a great job, especially for just being named the coach not even a month before we started everything,� Rosenquist said. “I think she’s doing awesome and she does a really good job of getting us to focus.�