The playoffs don’t start for more than a week.
Just don’t tell the Demons that.
The Durango High School boys soccer team, trying to lock up a spot in the Class 4A playoffs, got a much-needed 3-1 victory over Grand Junction Central on senior-day Saturday at Riverview Sports Complex.
At 7-5-1 and after completing a 5-4-1 Southwestern League slate, the Demons are in a take-every-point-possible mode with two games remaining next weekend in Colorado Springs against Rampart and Coronado, games rescheduled after poor weather forced their postponements earlier in the season.
“Winning each game, just transfer into playoffs, we know we have to come in here each game and just give it everything we have,” said senior Sean Arnold, son of Carol and Tim Arnold.
Saturday, however, didn’t start on a good note. Durango looked out of sorts from the opening whistle, and it proved costly when Matthew Miller got behind the defense and danced around goalkeeper Patrick Leach for a tap-in goal and a 1-0 lead for the Warriors (4-8-0, 1-7-0 SWL).
Durango responded with better pressure, better touches, better passing. The Demons finally made those improvements pay off when Sean Ackerman’s corner kick found the head of Zeb Soignier in the middle of the penalty area, and Soignier didn’t miss, heading the feed under the crossbar and over the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Lorenzo Archuleta to square the score.
“Honestly, I didn’t really have to move much. It was just perfect placement from Sean Ackerman,” said Soignier, son of Brian and JoC Soignier. “I just kind of followed it right to my head.”
After halftime, it was all Demons. Tony Williams gave DHS the lead just three minutes into the frame, taking a pass from David Schwantes and ripping a shot past Archuleta from about 15 yards out on the left wing to give DHS a 2-1 edge. The Demons kept pressing from there, and it eventually paid off one last time as they earned a penalty kick in the 48th minute. Soignier stepped to the dot and calmly placed a shot high and to the left of the keeper for a 3-1 edge.
“There’s always that ‘it’ factor, I call it, that championship teams, playoff teams have to have, and I strongly believe that’s our ‘it’ factor – being put in a tough situation, being able to shake it off and come back,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said.
Leach made two saves, both before halftime, to earn the win in net, and the DHS pressure ensured he wasn’t tested much after intermission.
Archuleta stopped seven shots for the Warriors.
Just the two games in Colorado Springs remain for the Demons. And those two games could be the difference between hearing their name called when brackets are revealed Oct. 20 or being left at home.
“We started playoffs last week, in our perspective,” Parker said. “That’s what we’re in now; we’re in playoff mode. Every second, every minute, every point counts. We have to go get them all.”
rowens@durangoherald.com
Senior Day
Sean Ackerman
Nick Aggeler
Sean Arnold
Chris Beach
Patrick Leach
Devin Lewis
Cory Munch
Brandon Roberts
David Schwantes
Zeb Soignier
Cameron Treharne
Gabe Tonnessen
Ryan Yaseen
Durango Herald
