Saturday’s game in Denver resembled more of a shootout than a soccer game.

A total of five penalty kicks were awarded, as the Durango High School boys soccer team took on Denver North. Three in a row awarded to the Denver North Vikings gave the team a 3-1 lead against the Demons, who rallied to tie the game at 3 later in the second half.

Durango also was awarded two penalty kicks but could only convert on one.

“With a total of five PKs, that’s the most I’ve ever seen before in a game,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “Whether they all deserved to be PKs, that’s whatever. But five given out was a determining factor of the game. The flow was so up and down.”

Denver North was whistled for a handball and a tripping foul in the box. All three penalties against Durango were contact fouls in the box.

Blake McClain and Liefdon Pratchett each scored goals for Durango, and sophomore Elijah Fenton added a header goal on a ball played into the box by Sailor Longfellow.

“Overall, as far as how the boys played, they played well. We dominated the game, possession and scored in the first 4½ minutes,” Parker said.

Durango played to a 6-1 win in the season opener Friday night in Englewood. It was a tough back-to-back stretch to open the season, and the result Saturday was tough to swallow.

“I could tell we were a little tired and not fully tuned in mentally,” Parker said. “Besides those facts, we played well for back-to-back first weekend of the season.”

The Demons’ varsity squad will have a week off to prepare for a Sept. 8 clash at home against Piedra Vista of Farmington.

jlivingston@durangoherald.com