Storm boys soccer find their energy, zap Hawks 2-0 at home

RIO RANCHO — “He was lazy.”

Cleveland boys soccer senior Ethan Hendricks said with a smile, talking about the Volcano Vista defender whom he beat to the ball for a goal in the Storm’s 2-0 victory over the Hawks.

“I go for corners, I have three (goals on corner kicks) this year,” Hendricks told Observer correspondent Daniel Zuniga postgame. “My guy (defender), he was lazy. He left me, I saw the ball, came up and got it.”

Not only does Hendricks’ description fit the goal-scoring play, but it also sums up a night where Cleveland beat the district second-place Hawks solely off one facet: energy.

Coming off a 4-2 loss to Piedra Vista last week, Cleveland came out with a purpose on Wednesday night. Less than five minutes into the game, the Storm would take a 1-0 lead via a corner kick header from Dakota Jones.

Storm Head Coach Shaun Gill’s squad was flying around the turf, smothering the Hawks’ attack and generating chances of their own. It was only a matter of time until Cleveland found another goal with Hendricks cashing in towards the end of the first half.

Down 2-0, Volcano Vista was scrambling. The Hawks were not able to generate any offense, voicing some displeasure with the officials’ calls along the way.

But with Cleveland’s high-octane play combining with Volcano Vista’s frustration, tension started to build. That tension bubbled over into a Storm red card on Trevor Lewis, which put them down a man for almost half the match.

“It was an unlucky red card,” Hendricks said. “But we fought for him. It was a great game.”

A first-half offensive barrage quickly pivoted into a defensive chess match in the second frame. Cleveland had the lead, but was at a disadvantage. It was full-on “keep away” mode for the Storm, as they fought off the Hawks, along with the clock.

Sophomore Denym Lodge was proficient in the midfield at clearing the ball when needed. Fellow midfielder Zac Martinez added some excellent open-field slide tackles to halt the Hawks.

Volcano Vista’s frustration started to grow more and more as time wound down, as it only fed into Cleveland’s momentum. Every Cleveland defensive stop or big play was met with screams of excitement from the Storm players and bench.

Lost in the mix of the intense action was a stellar performance from Cleveland goalkeeper Ramon Rodriguez, putting together his fifth shutout of the season. There were some close calls from the Hawks, but the senior did not flinch.

Time expired, and Cleveland escaped with a rollercoaster of a win. Beating the 5A-1 second-place Hawks for the second time this year, the Storm may be playing their best soccer at the right time.

One game remains until the playoffs. The matchup? Another crack at Rio Rancho, this time at Lightning Bolt Stadium.

“We gotta get that one,” Hendricks said. “We gotta come out with the same energy, it’s an important one for us.”