Overtime procedures – or even if there was to be overtime at all – weren’t completely clear Tuesday afternoon at Ignacio high School Field.
Probably because nobody has ever expected a girls soccer match between Ignacio and Pagosa Springs to need extra time.
And with an inconceivable second 10-minute bonus session imminent, Pagosa’s Lauren Monterroso managed to make a wide turn around a Lady Bobcat defender and set up a low, right-footed shot that deflected off goalie Alexis Ortiz’s hands and trickled far enough over the goal line in the 90th overall minute of play to give the Lady Pirates a 2-1 win.
Finally playing their first match of 2022, the Lady Pirates played Ignacio (1-3, 1-2 2A Southwestern) to a 0-0 draw entering intermission. Pagosa had keeper Trista Tully to thank from start to finish – even after Lady ’Cat Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga cashed a 47th-minute penalty kick after taking a hard cross-check in the back from Pagosa’s Ava Pargin while on a breakaway attack. Pargin would be red-carded for the foul.
Defending a 1-0 lead against PSHS (1-0, 0-0 3A Southwestern), Ignacio nearly doubled its advantage in the 65th, but Tully stopped Laci Brunson at close range after Brunson ran onto a perfect ball from Alexis Pontine.
Lady Pirate Nika Hinger would finally get the guests on the scoreboard in the 72nd minute. After hitting Ortiz’s near post with a shot, then catching the Lady ’Cats thinking the ball was out of bounds when it wasn’t, Hinger passed off to a teammate, then got the ball back from Kori Lucero to net the equalizer.
Still pursuing their program’s best result in recent memory – and possibly ever – against Pagosa Springs, Ignacio persevered and Ortiz made a critical save on Monterroso in the 74th minute when the Lady Pirates were poised to plunder.
Brunson and Harmony Reynolds each had last-minute chances to swipe the match in regulation time for Ignacio, but each pushed her shot wide of target.
The Durango High School girls soccer team started Southwestern League play on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Grand Junction Central to stay undefeated. DHS improved to 5-0, 1-0 with the win. Central slipped to 2-1, 0-1.
DHS took a 2-0 lead into halftime after Sarah Somrak and Emery Miller netted late goals for the team.
“We dominated the first half and had lots of opportunities to score,” said DHS head coach Melissa Halonen.
Central cut the lead in half in the second, but Miller scored a second goal to give Durango some insurance.
Durango fired 42 shots in the game.
Goalie Jocelyn Feir only had to make five saves, but DHS made some defensive adjustments to a fast Central attacker. Mason Rowland and Emy Mattox both moved back, and the coach said they did a great job.
The Demons are ranked No. 5 in CHSAANow.com’s latest Class 4A poll.
“It’s great to have that first league game and come out with a win,” Halonen said, adding that it was nice for other coaches around the state to recognize Durango has a strong squad. “I fell like we have a good team,” Halonen said. “I feel it would be hard to picture other high schools with as many good players as we have.”
DHS will next host Grand Junction (1-3) at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Sports Editor Cody Olivas contributed to this report
