Cleveland soccer teams sweep Rams again

Rio Rancho High School goalkeeper Isabela Ferdinand, left, races out to get the ball before some Cleveland forwards close it Saturday. (Herron photo)

RIO RANCHO – The Cleveland High School soccer teams beat their rivals from south of Northern Blvd. on Saturday, giving each Storm team a sweep of the District 1-5A meetings; each rallied from an early deficit.

Storm girls 4, Rams 2: Cleveland its 12th game in a row, beating visiting Rio Rancho 4-2 as the second half of the district slate began for both city teams.

The Rams (5-10-1, 2-3 in 1-5A) scored first midway through the first half on a direct kick by sophomore Kendall Sullivan.

About eight minutes later, on a perfect cross from Angeline Montoya in the southeast corner of the pitch, Arissa C’de Baca was in perfect position to boot the ball into the upper corner of the goal.

The game remained tied for just six more minutes as Montoya repeated her cross and Annaliese Prosch made it a 2-1 Storm (16-1, 5-0) lead, which is how the first half ended.

In the 48th minute, Kiana Jamerson beat Rams goalkeeper Isabella Ferdinand for a 3-1 CHS lead, only to see Sienna Salazar called for a foul, and the resulting free kick by Sullivan sailed over Storm ‘keeper Madison Johnson to cut the CHS lead to 3-2.

No problem for the Storm, who allowed just two goals for the second time this season: Ella Lent-Koop gave the Storm an insurance goal and that’s how the game ended eight minutes later.

The Storm outshot the Rams 15-8; Ferdinand came up with nine saves, while Johnson only needed three.

“We responded very well both times after their goals,” Storm coach Greg Rusk said, impressed with how the Rams had improved since they were shut out, 5-0, by Cleveland at Rio Rancho Stadium on Sept. 27.

“It is nice to start the second half with a win, but it’s also nice to see a Rio Rancho team that has improved; our district needs to be strong,” he said. “Once again, their goalkeeper had a marvelous day … But yeah, they’re a much-improved team.”

The much-ballyhooed annual eclipse had no effect on the contest.

“I was expecting it to get darker,” Rusk said, noting that only a possible “lapse in concentration” could keep his team from running the 1-5A table and a bye in the first round of the state playoffs.

The Storm girls are at the APS soccer complex to meet Atrisco Heritage Academy on Oct. 18, then home Saturday at 11 a.m. to face Cibola.

The Rams girls, who won a 2-1 game vs. AHA on Oct. 11, are home Oct. 18 to meet Volcano Vista, then home again Friday at 4 p.m. to face Albuquerque Academy in a non-district contest; that game had originally been set for the 21st.

Storm boys 3, Rams 2:Five hours after the girls’ battle began, the city’s boys’ soccer teams took the grass pitch at RRHS.

The Meserve brothers, Sean and Araon, gave the home team a 2-0 lead, with Aaron’s coming on a penalty kick.

About two minutes before intermission, Cleveland (9-5-3, 3-2) sliced the deficit in half, when Emmanuel Ruiz scored.

Three minutes into the second half, Austin Clark tallied to know the game at 2,

Right after Rio’s Douglas Cutshall left the action because of a yellow card, Elijah McLaughlin kicked in the game-winner.

Once again, Storm ‘keeper Joaquin Armijo was outstanding, especially down the stretch when the Rams (8-5-2, 1-3-1) missed out on three straight corner kicks and he caught a routine bouncing shot about waist high.

“I’m just so proud of the boys,” CHS coach Shaun Gill said. “They showed a lot of heart and we’ve been trying – the talent’s been there – to play consistent and play for two halves.

“We can play great for a half and then we kinda have little (lapses), but they did everything we worked on this whole last week, playing for 80 minutes. … They overcame that stinkin’ 2-0 deficit.

“As for Armijo, a junior, Gill said, “He’s an All-State ‘keeper for a reason. He’s smart and he’s athletic and he saved that one, right over the bar,” he added. “Kudos to him; he’s just a blessing to have back there.”

“I think you have to give credit to them” RRHS coach John Shepard said. “They played smart for what they had. We missed a lot of our opportunities.

“The ball didn’t go our way today,” he added. “Their goalkeeper is one of their strengths; he’s a real good goalkeeper.”

The Storm are home Oct. 18 to face second-place Atrisco Heritage Academy (12-4, 4-1) and then play host to last-place Cibola Saturday at 2 p.m. AHA beat the Storm 5-4 in overtime on Sept. 30; the Hawks beat the Storm 3-1 on Oct. 7.

The Rams play first-place Volcano Vista (12-3-1, 3-0-1) on the 18th, and then have a non-district contest vs. Visiting Albuquerque Academy Friday at 6. RRHS tied the Hawks the first time they met, at RRHS, Sept. 30.