Storm, Rams have identical outcomes in season-opening road trip

LAS CRUCES — Both the CHS and the RRHS girls soccer teams are returning home Aug. 21 after a two-games-in-two-days series in Las Cruces to open their seasons, and both squads split their respective series at 1-1.

The season opened Aug. 20 with RRHS suffering a 1-0 defeat to Las Cruces. CHS followed, taking their own 1-0 loss to Organ Mountain.

With little time to dwell on the previous day’s frustrations, the Storm and the Rams both came out ready to play the following evening. Again, the two visitors from Rio Rancho shared the same results.

CHS defeated Las Cruces 2-1 in overtime, followed by an eerily similar 2-1 overtime victory for RRHS.

“I’m happy with them,” said RRHS girls soccer head coach Jenna Sievers. “It was really tough, really hot, but it’s nice to come home with the win.”

Sievers says the team’s success was due to a mixture of veteran leadership and several of the youngest players stepping up.

“Kiki [junior Kieara Trujillo-Garcia] scored that first goal that really got us back into it,” she said, referring to Trujillo-Garcia's goal in minute 24. “And then, in overtime, Adisen Ly got that goal. She’s a freshman. And Danae Lee, she’s in eighth grade, she got the assist. So, it’s pretty cool to see them all connecting.”

Sievers was being modest. Trujillo-Garcia dribbled through three defenders and launched a rocket from 10 yards out. In turn, Ly hit her shot from the far post after a laser pass from Lee.

Not to be outdone, Coach Gregory Rusk and his Storm squad had their hands full with an aggressive Las Cruces squad. They also came out on top with a 2-1 victory, thanks to a late overtime goal from sophomore defender Autumn Howell, with the assist from senior Arissa C’deBaca.

The game started fast, with sophomore midfielder Maritza Gonzalez getting Cleveland on the scoreboard in the first six minutes. Las Cruces fired back immediately with a seventh-minute goal of their own.

From there, the match became a grind. Both teams were roughly similar in shots-on-goal (14 and 13) and corners (7 and 9), but it was Cleveland who pulled it out late with Howell’s goal in the 92nd minute.

Neither the Storm nor the Rams will have much time to rest, though. The ABQ Metro Tournament starts Friday at the APS Soccer Complex, 8111 Rainbow Blvd NW. Teams will face three opponents in quick order over Friday and Saturday as they vie for a spot in the knockout rounds.

CHS will face St. Pius in the opening game of the tournament. Their regular season home opener will be 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 versus Sandia.

RRHS will do the same, facing Albuquerque Academy in the first round of the tournament and then taking on Eldorado on their home pitch at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 28.

Find full coverage at rrobserver.com.

BOXES

Tuesday

LAS CRUCES 1, RIO RANCHO 0

Rio Rancho 0 0 -- 0

Las Cruces 1 0 -- 1

Scoring: LC 85th, Raylene Carillo (ua), Shots on goal: RR 5, LC 5. Saves: RR 4, LC 4. Corners: RR 0, LC 2. Records: RR 0-1, LC 1-0.

ORGAN MOUNTAIN 1, CLEVELAND 0

Cleveland 0 0 -- 0

Organ Mt. 1 0 -- 1

Scoring: OM, 37th, Amarae Villanueva (ua), Shots on goal: C 6, OM 9. Saves: C, Maddie Johnson 6, OM, Araceli Triste-Martínez 5. Corners: C 4; OM 3. Records: C 0-1, OM 1-0.

Wednesday

CLEVELAND 2, LAS CRUCES 1 (OT)

Cleveland 1 0 1 -- 2

Las Cruces 1 0 0 -- 0

Scoring: C, 6th, Maritza Gonzalez (ua), LC 7th Raylene Carillo (ua), C, 92nd Autumn Howell (Arissa C’deBaca). Shots on goal: C 14, LC 13. Saves: C, Maddie Johnson 6, LC, Kiera Gamboa 11. Corners: C 7, LC 9. Records: C 1-1, LC 1-1

RIO RANCHO 2, ORGAN MOUNTAIN 1 (OT)

Rio Rancho 1 0 1– 2

Organ Mt. 1 0 0 -- 0

Scoring: OM, 21st, Ariyah Vasquez (ua), RR, 24th, Kieara Trujillo-Garcia (ua), RR, 86th, Adisen Ly (Danae Lee). Shots on goal: RR 9, OM 4. Saves: RR 6, OM 6. Corners: RR 5, OM 2. Records: RR 1-1, OM 1-1.