The Durango girls soccer team had big goals for this postseason as the fourth-ranked team in the 4A state playoffs. Unfortunately for the Demons, the goals at Durango High School on Wednesday night weren’t big enough for Durango to advance to the second round.
After multiple good chances in the opening minutes, Durango never looked settled on offense and defense against 29-seed Dakota Ridge. The Eagles showed why they are the defending state champs with timely plays to seal a 2-1 victory over the Demons in the first round of the 4A state playoffs.
Durango finished the season with a 9-3-3 record after the loss. Dakota Ridge improved to 8-6-1 overall with the win and will play 13-seed Green Mountain in the second round.
“When we went into the game we knew it was anybody's tournament,” Durango head coach Melissa Halonen said. “Those are last season’s state champs so they are going to come with the will and want to do it again. We started out very strong playing our game. We had a couple of chances early on that if we capitalized on, it could’ve been a different story.”
Senior Reese Dahly scored the Demons’ lone goal. Junior Bella Saren had the assist.
Wednesday night’s loss was the first defeat for the Demons since March 29 when Durango lost to Montrose 2-1. It’s also the first time since that Montrose game the Demons have given up two or more goals in a game.
The Demons were on the attack from the start, advancing the ball into the attacking third a minute into the game. Saren, freshman Lila-Scherer Sickler and senior Emery Miller each had a chance inside the 18-yard box in the first few minutes. All three attempts were saved by the Dakota Ridge keeper.
Durango continued to possess the ball for the next 10 minutes but couldn’t get the close looks it got early in the game.
Senior defender Carter Neiman made a costly turnover in the back and the ball was taken toward goal by a Dakota Ridge forward with about 27 minutes left in the half. Luckily for the Demons, the forward’s shot went wide of the net from about 20 yards out.
Dakota Ridge started taking more possession and made the Demons pay after another costly turnover. Junior Ava Arnold was played a through ball off a turnover in the Demons half. She possessed the ball and finished with not much pace on the shot as Demons sophomore goalie Ryne Neiman was off her line. Dakota Ridge led 1-0 with 22:55 to go.
The Eagles almost scored again from a similar spot but Ryne Neiman made a diving save.
“Them getting one chance in 20 minutes and scoring really affected us mentally,” Halonen said. “We put our heads down and started playing a different kind of soccer than what we wanted to play.”
Halonen said the girls played more frantic and started playing kick ball instead of possessing the ball like they usually do.
Durango generated its next chance with 12 minutes to go. Junior defender Lilly Fitzpatrick was played a ball back to the 18-yard box but she fired it just wide of the goal.
Carter Neiman almost leveled the score with a free kick from 34 yards out with nine minutes left in the half but it flew just over the crossbar. Durango trailed 1-0 at half.
Halonen said she spoke with the Demons at halftime about changing their mindset and being mentally stronger than they showed in the first half to come back and possess and dictate the play.
Dakota Ridge was being conservative on offense to preserve the lead to start the second half. The Eagles had two defenders on Miller in the middle of the field.
Durango struggled to connect in the attacking third and had numerous sloppy turnovers in the middle of the second half.
Finally, a chance appeared after a great run from Bella Saren down the left side. She played a great ball from the left corner into the 18-yard box. The ball settled right in front of the goalie but Reese Dahly ran in and put the ball in the back of the net with 20 minutes to go just before colliding with the keeper.
The game wasn’t tied for long. Dakota Ridge had a free kick from about 40 yards out. Ryne Neiman couldn’t handle the ball in a crowded box. A Dakota Ridge player was able to chip the ball over the heads of the Demons defense and in the goal with 16 minutes to go to put the Eagles up 2-1.
“We fought back in the second half, we really did,” Halonen said. “I knew that if we gave up a free kick, we talked about it, they scored on free kicks and that’s what happened.”
Durango struggled to get any chances in the next 10 minutes. Eagle Ridge had a chance to put the game away with five minutes left with a shot that hit the post.
The Demons had a few chances in the closing minutes but couldn’t challenge the Dakota Ridge keeper before the final whistle blew.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
