Rams' Boys Soccer take down rival Storm in rain-filled shutout

RIO RANCHO — Beating the Storm, in a storm?

On a rain-filled Monday afternoon, the Rio Rancho boys soccer team took down rival Cleveland High School in a 3-0 shutout of the crosstown foe.

Rams’ goalkeeper Kenneth Graves blanked the Storm in one of his top performances of the year, with the Rio Rancho attack holding up its end of the bargain.

The unusual 4 p.m. kickoff time was due to the match’s original postponement, with the Rams and Storm set to play last Tuesday before a lightning storm moved the match to the following week.

This week? Not much better. Cold winds and spotty rain showers were present at Ram Stadium, but no electricity in the air, luckily enough. This introduction to fall weather may have lightened the crowd, but it did not take the energy off the pitch.

In the opening minutes, both teams were flying all over the turf. Cleveland would control the possession time early on until the Rams answered right back with some offensive pressure.

Before you knew it, Cleveland and Rio Rancho were trading long runs and counterattacks with close calls on both ends. It wasn’t until an excellent save by Graves would open up a counterattack run for Tanner Groves.

Groves would bob and weave his way through Storm defenders, eventually finding himself past the keeper with nothing but an open net. The senior put it away for a 1-0 Rams lead.

It was looking as if the teams would head into halftime with the 1-0 score standing, until Rams sophomore Jacob Barker created some space for a run before being tripped up in the box.

A penalty shot.

The sea of umbrellas in the stadium bleachers, ready for a halftime bathroom break, suddenly lit up with anticipation as Rio Rancho would choose Barker to take the shot he earned. He lined up the kick, and the place fell silent.

Buried.

Barker fooled the keeper for a 2-0 Rams lead just before halftime. In a half that felt neck-and-neck on the pitch, Rio Rancho had created separation on the scoreboard.

Just as the rain picked up in the second half, so did Graves. The senior keeper was extraordinary in the final minutes, keying in on his fifth shutout of the year.

With rain and top-notch defense smothering Cleveland’s chances, RR’s Daniel Lovato would break loose on a great setup from Michael Wong to make it 3-0. An insurance goal from the junior sealed the deal for Rio Rancho.

Rivalry aside, this was a big win for the Rams in the district standings. Holding onto that first-place position, they now move to 6-0 in 5A-1 and keep the Storm stuck in third.

“We came out and did what we had to do,” Groves said. “We know how tough our season is, but we are conquering it game by game. I think we all played well.”

Leading the season series 1-0, the Rams and Storm will meet again on Oct. 25 with Rio Rancho set to travel to Lightning Bolt Stadium.