Durango girls soccer head coach Dalon Parker wasn’t happy with his team’s first-half effort in Thursday’s home opener against Montezuma-Cortez. All he had to do to change things was ask nicely, and Lane Arnwine delivered.
With the game tied a 1-all at haltime, Parker politely asked Arnwine to put one in the net. Within a minute of play after the intermission, the game-winning goal came off the junior forward’s foot and kicked off a huge second half for Durango High School that propelled the Demons to a 4-1 win.
Arnwine was joined by sophomores Emma Aggeler and Taylor Klone and freshman Kayla Ruberstein as scorers for the Demons. DHS goalkeeper Leah Stephens stopped every shot that came directly off the opponents’ feet, as the only goal the senior keeper allowed came off her own defender.
“It took the girls awhile to get going, and we were all not pleased with the way the first half went,” Parker said. “I just asked her to score a goal because they were giving her space, and she gave me the two responses I was looking for.”
The first response from Arnwine in the huddle was a “yes,” and the second was a strike from the top of the box that turned out to be the decisive goal that opened the flood gates for the Durango offense.
“We were a bit frantic in that first half because it was our first home game, but it was definitely a better second half,” said Arnwine, daughter of Craig and Gillian Arnwine. “Coach kind of called me out at halftime, and I told him I’d score. The ball just found my foot, and I shot it and it went in.”
It was a relief for Durango (5-1, 3-0 5A/4A Southwestern League) because the Demons fell behind early and Montezuma-Cortez goalkeeper Stevee Brenner made some huge stops in goal. Brenner finished the game with nine saves, but was issued a red card and ejected late for arguing with the referee.
After thwarting numerous Durango chances, the Panthers took an early 1-0 lead after Weslie Kirks’ shot deflected off the Demons’ defense into the net. Stephens had no chance because of the late redirection, but the Durango defense was spotless from that moment forward.
Shortly after the Panthers (2-2, 0-1 5A-4A SWL) grabbed the lead, Aggeler’s penalty kick attempt barely got through Brenner to tie the game at 1.
Parker’s coolness in the halftime huddle and the challenges he issued to his girls sparked a different attitude in the second half.
Arnwine’s goal gave Durango the momentum, and Klone took little time to give the Demons a two-goal cushion. Later in the half, Ruberstein was the recipient of a nice setup from Sarah Vierling and deposited the final tally of the day to give Durango a lead that Stephens wasn’t about to give up.
“I said to myself, ‘No more,’ after the first one went in, and my teammates did a great job of keeping the ball in their end,” said Stephens, daughter of Joy Short and Tim Stephens. “This is my last year, and if I’m not giving it my all I don’t belong out here.”
Durango will try to give its all again at 2:45 p.m. Saturday against Sand Creek at Durango’s Riverview Park.
jfries@durangoherald.com
