AVC NOTEBOOK: GALVAO MAKES SWITCH TO AVC.

Byline: J.J. Bowman Special to the Daily News

After being associated with Highland High School soccer for 14 years, Lemuel Galvao believes the Bulldogs now have their most talented girls' team ever. Rather than prepare to reap the benefits of years of hard work cultivating the program he created in 1990, Galvao decided to leave his coaching position at Highland and accept the job as coach of the Antelope Valley College women's team.

``Most coaches leave when the cupboard is bare,'' he said. ``I'm leaving and the pantry is full.''

Galvao left the girls' team in 1994 to take over the fledgling boys' soccer program. In three years at the helm, he took the boys to the playoffs twice. Since he took over the girls' program again, the Bulldogs have gone 45-14-4. When the opportunity came to move up to AVC, Galvao said he had to jump.

``It's like getting a promotion at work. It doesn't happen very often,'' he said. Galvao worked last year as goalkeepers coach for AVC. He takes over a team that finished 7-9-2 last season and 5-7 in the Foothill Conference.

The Marauders finished fourth in the conference and will return with top scorer Stephanie Meek, who was second in the conference in overall scoring last season. The biggest challenges for Galvao will be to improve the defense of the Marauders, who gave up an average of 3.71 goals per game. < ``We have to improve our defense,'' he said. ``We gave up way too many goals last year.''

Galvao also will have to replenish the offense, which lost three of the top four scorers, including all-conference striker Stephanie Kneifl.

Galvao, a graduate of Cal State Northridge, also has long-term plans for the Marauders, including a summer class available to all women college soccer players.

``I want (Antelope Valley College) to be a place that can help all the women soccer players in the Valley, no matter what college they're going to,'' he said. ``We want to help them all and we have a chance to do that.''

AVC has had a class for its own players but has never before opened one for others in the Valley. Galvao said the class would not only provide help to women athletes far away from their own colleges in the summer but also improve AVC's status as a viable option for Valley soccer players.

``We would love (AVC) to be one of the things everyone would truly consider,'' he said. ``I don't know how long that will take, but we're sure going to work hard at it.''

Galvao will remain at Highland as a history teacher and will continue to root for the Bulldogs while broadening his focus to the whole Valley to establish AVC soccer, just as he did with Highland.

``I didn't move around much. I don't plan on moving around now,'' he said. ``I'm looking to make AVC the best.''

--Diamonds in the basement: A season that started so promising for the Marauders softball team ended in a 7-3 loss to Santa Ana. The Marauders started the season 6-0 but did not have the depth to overcome injuries and defections. They ended the season in last place in the Foothill Conference with a 2-10 record. The softball team had never had a losing season before this one.

--Batter up: With three games left, the baseball team has a chance to move out of second-to-last place in the conference in the final week of play. The Marauders will try to improve on a 7-17 record with games this week against first-place San Bernadino, sixth-ranked Mt. San Jacinto and seventh-place Victor Valley. The Marauders are currently a half-game behind Victor Valley for that seventh spot.