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Prep soccer: Rio Grande's boys a bit of a party crasher at metros
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The Hope Christian girls, the La Cueva boys, the Volcano Vista girls — this is not new territory for any of them.
But it is for the Rio Grande Ravens.
“It’s great for the community, to get this far in a metro (tournament),” Rio Grande coach Brian Weems said.
Rio Grande’s boys joined the other three in Friday night’s championship games of the Albuquerque Metro Soccer Championships at the APS Complex. It will be the first metro final for the Ravens.
In the semifinals on Wednesday night, La Cueva’s boys defeated Rio Rancho while Rio Grande shut out Atrisco Heritage. Volcano Vista’s girls blanked La Cueva and Hope’s girls poured it on in the second half in a victory over rival Albuquerque Academy.
The two championship games are 7 p.m. Friday.
BOYS: Angel Hernandez’s rebound goal in the 13th minute stood up for Rio Grande (4-0-2), which has surrendered only one goal in six matches and none in the last five. The latest shutout came against their South Valley rivals, the Jaguars (3-1-1).
“They’re a seasoned group,” Weems said of his defense, and also his goalkeeper Cristiano Flores. “Starting with our keeper, and our outside backs, we just have a knack for defense. We hammer defense in high school soccer.”
On the game’s lone goal, Hernandez was in the right place at the right time, with an initial shot not secured, and Hernandez there to pounce and finish.
“There’s not even words to explain how excited we are (to be in the metro final),” Hernandez said. “We’ve been working so hard for this.”
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On facing La Cueva in the metro final, Hernandez didn’t mince words.
“They say La Cueva this and La Cueva that. But we’ll see what’s up,” he said.
La Cueva (3-0-1) had the first three goals in a 3-1 decision against Rio Rancho (4-1-1).
“I thought that was a state championship game and (if) we played the way we did, it would be in our favor,” Bears coach Easy Jimenez said. “The want was there, we were all on the same page, and that’s what made it special.”
La Cueva got first-half goals from Sebastian Kreuter and Brice Clark, the latter coming just three minutes before halftime, and the Bears extended to 3-0 on Jonah Grega’s tally in the 67th minute.
As Jimenez turned toward Rio Grande, a team the Bears beat in the final of New Mexico United’s inaugural summer tournament for high school sides back in July, he was not surprised to find the Ravens as their opponent.
“We thought we would be playing them in the final,” Jimenez said, “and we are.”
GIRLS: There are few more reliable scorers in New Mexico than Volcano Vista junior forward Kasey Sandoval, and it was her goal off a set piece in the 25th minute that was the difference in a 1-0 victory over the Bears.
Sandoval took a corner kick, rushed toward net, and when she got there she pounced on a pass from teammate Lara Sheele, who was first to touch the corner and who redirected it back to Sandoval who scored from about 16 yards out.
“It was nice to get them. Being able to beat them was amazing,” said Sandoval of La Cueva (4-1), which eliminated Volcano Vista in the last two postseasons, including the semifinals last November.
This was the third straight 1-0 result for the Hawks (5-0).
“We haven’t been (to the metro final) in years, and it’s a good opportunity to win something for a chance,” Volcano coach Ashley Nieder said with a smile. “(This win) was critical for our program. It’s a huge win, and I’m hoping it is one that changes our mentality when we go into games against La Cueva.”
Hope’s girls have won 42 in a row after beating Academy 6-0. But the final was somewhat misleading.
This match was scoreless almost all the way until halftime, when Mechi Garbarino scored in the final minute. Ryley Porter scored in the first minute of the second half, and things got out of hand on the scoreboard.
Mason Ricker had a pair of assists for the Huskies, who astonishingly have won their five matches by a combined score of 42-0. Brooklyn Fankam had a goal and assist in the win. Her sister Bryson also recorded a goal and assist.
“Credit to Academy, it felt like almost a 1-0 or 2-0 game throughout, it was intense from start to finish,” Hope coach Amy Fankam said. “Once we secured that second goal, I think we could settle in and play our game a little bit more.”
Friday will be the first of two games between Volcano Vista and Hope this month; they also meet Sept. 16 at Volcano Vista.
