A game-winner was wiped off the board, so teams had to settle for a draw Saturday.
The Durango High School boys soccer team rallied to tie Grand Junction in the final two minutes of play in a big Class 4A/5A Southwestern League game in Grand Junction, but another Demons goal wouldn’t count, sending the match into extra time.
Neither side could find a goal, leaving the game with a 2-2 result.
“It was a well-fought game,” DHS head coach Dalon Park said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We had a ton of opportunities, we just couldn’t finish at the end of the day. We had two goals called back, and those were big.”
One DHS goal was waved off because of offsides, but the second came after Grand Junction was whistled for a foul after pushing a Durango player out of bounds. The Demons had already crossed the ball, Parker said.
Durango (6-3-1, 2-1-1 SWL) carried on hoping to play the advantage and tapped in the cross for a goal, but the referee took the score off the board and said he had whistled for the foul.
Durango received a free kick but couldn’t find any similar success they had seconds earlier.
“A game winner called back. It ended up with us playing the foul instead of getting the goal. It’s tough,” Parker said.
Elijahn Fenton scored the equalizer with two minutes to play in regulation. The score was assisted by Connor Henry.
“Connor did an absolutely phenomenal job getting the ball to Eli, keeping a play alive and letting Eli finish it home,” Parker said.
The Demons’ first goal came from Mason Stetler, who was assisted by Fenton.
But Parker said the team was doomed by its inability finish countless chances in front of the Grand Junction (4-3-1, 2-0-1 SWL) goal.
“(Grand Junction) wasn’t special against us. We handled everything they did well, but that’s the way the game goes,” he said.
Durango will start a long homestand next Saturday against Aztec before four consecutive home league matches to end the regular season.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
