One week after stumbling on the road, the young Demons were back on their feet and kicking Saturday.
The Durango High School girls soccer team responded from a 2-0 loss at Fruita Monument a week ago with a 1-0 beating of the Wildcats at home Saturday at Durango’s Riverview Park.
The two evenly-matched teams appeared to be locked in a game of chess as they battled back-and-forth, but a 60th-minute goal from sophomore Madeleine Dearien proved to be the difference this time around.
After a scoreless first half that Fruita Monument took control of the final 25 minutes, DHS head coach Dalon Parker made a few personnel adjustments and fired his team up. The girls responded and played a more methodical match at the midfield in the final 40 minutes.
“We put the pressure on and were wearing (Fruita Monument) out,” Parker said. “Eventually, there was a lot of standing and walking on their side.”
Dearien’s goal, her second of the season, came off a free kick from senior Maddie Robertson, who used her powerful leg to fire the ball to the back post from 45 yards out. Dearien did the rest.
“She made a beautiful crossing run in front of the goalkeeper and slipped in unmarked,” Parker said. “She got it on her foot and finished. It was a beautiful goal.”
The Demons (8-3, 6-1 4A/5A Southwestern League) came out firing the opening 15 minutes, just as they had a week earlier in Fruita. But the Wildcats (7-5, 6-1 SWL) responded and put the pressure on Durango the rest of the first half. Parker said his team was put on its heels.
The final minutes after Dearien’s goal, Parker said the girls played their butts off but couldn’t find a second goal.
For the Demons, Leah Stephens was again unbeatable in goal. Parker said she made seven saves.
After picking up a 4-0 home win Friday against Montrose to complete a three-game season sweep of the Indians, Parker used many more substitutes Saturday morning to combat fatigue, and it paid off. It also helped build the team’s ever-growing confidence.
“Confidence is 95 percent of the battle,” Parker said. “To sweep Montrose and give Fruita its first loss in league and to tie up the league standings, it was a very important weekend.”
DHS has three league games left in the regular season, and Parker is hoping to claim the league title to boost state playoff seeding. Grand Junction and Grand Junction Central will visit next weekend before the Demons make a trip to Montezuma-Cortez. DHS will end the regular season with a non-league road game at Pine Creek on May 6 in Colorado Springs.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
