When his team needed an answer, Sayer Frontella provided the spark for the Durango High School boys soccer team, as his three-goal performance was enough to lift the Demons to a 7-2 win over Piedra Vista Tuesday night in Durango.
The Demons (2-2) conceded an early goal after the referee awarded a penalty kick after an inadvertent elbow struck Piedra Vista forward Julian Delgado. He stepped up and put home the game’s first goal, which gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
It took a while for DHS to respond despite a number of good chances. The Demons leveled the match in the 24th minute when Frontella received a through ball on the left flank and slotted it home to tie the game.
Two minutes later, Leland Heinicke gave the Demons the lead for good, and converted a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box by Piedra Vista’s goalkeeper. In the 31st minute, Frontella scored his second of the half with a simple tap-in goal which came from a Heinicke cross to make it 3-1.
“You just have to roll with the punches after a penalty kick decision, and I think we did a really good job of responding,” Frontella said. “Big ups to (Heinicke), who stepped up and did a good job, and really, the whole supporting cast did an awesome job tonight. Obviously, we’re not where we want to be yet, but we showed up in the second half and played a lot better soccer.”
The Panthers (2-4) responded late in the half from a goal by Lance Golden, and it was 3-2 at halftime.
DHS head coach Aaron Champenoy told his team to keep looking for opportunities, and he thought it was only a matter of time before more goals came.
“Well, in the first half, we had 13 corners and eight or nine shots, so it was coming,” Champenoy said. “I just told the guys to keep going, but our No. 1 goal in the second half was making sure they didn’t score again. I thought as long as we did that, the goals would start coming. We were patient in the second half, and I think we got in a groove and were able to pull away.”
The Demons put four past the Panthers in the second half to pull away for the win.
Logan Stetler opened the second-half scoring in the 46th minute, as he received a pass down the right flank and fired it into the far corner to make it 4-2. Aiden Araujo scored off of a rebound in the 52nd minute, as did Ryan Bell in the 70th, which made it 6-2. With six minutes remaining, Frontella scored his hat trick with a long-range shot from 25 yards out.
“Sayer is a talented player, obviously, and I left him in a bit longer because I thought he deserved a hat trick tonight,” Champenoy said. “He’s talented; I think he’s got to learn how to play within our system, and the guys have to learn how to play with him as well, but once we do and start clicking, I think it could be pretty dangerous.”
The Demons will hit the road to face Grand Junction Central (0-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grand Junction Central High School.
Telluride High School, ranked No. 3 in the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A poll, topped Bayfield High School 10-0 on Tuesday in Telluride. Statistics were not made available. The Wolverines (0-2, 0-2 3A Intermountain League) have been shut out in both matches this year, and also lost to top-ranked Crested Butte 8-0 on Saturday.
BHS will look for its first win of the season when it takes on Manitou Springs (0-0) at 4 p.m. Friday at Manitou Springs High School.
bploen@durangoherald.com
