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Runners return home Sunday, still looking for first win
New Mexico Runners player Colton Oord seems to be looking for a hand up after he hit the ground in the team’s loss to Amarillo on Jan. 7. The team slipped to 0-3 after a heart-breaking 11-10 loss at Kansas on Jan. 13, compounded by an 8-7 loss at Amarillo on Jan. 20. (Herron photo)
RIO RANCHO – The New Mexico Runners indoor soccer team should be happy to return to their digs at the Rio Rancho Events Center, mainly because it’s home, not because they’ve done much there.
In fact, the Runners (0-4) are 0-2 in the Events Center and 0-2 on the road, and on Sunday at 3:05 p.m., they get another shot at the Kansas Bandits.
It’ll be an “I Love the 90s” theme., and the first 200 fans will get fanny packs.
Kansas 11, Runners 10: The Bandits broke a deadlock at 10 late in the contest in Wichita on Jan. 13, scoring the winning goal with just 16 seconds left in regulation.
Other than ties that day at 1, 2, 3 and 4, the Bandits (2-3) led for most of the game, and by as many three goals in the second half – 8-5 and 9-6.
But the Runners went on a 4-1 run, which began with 30 seconds left in the third period until midway in the fourth, with goals coming from Jaime Hernandez and Vince Aragon, plus two from Julian Garcia.
The second Garcia tally knotted the game at 9.
Kansas took the lead on a goal with 4:54 to go, only to see Benjamin Rogers knock one in for the Runners to make it 10-10, with 1:51 left in regulation.
That 11th goal must have agonized the Runners, who certainly would have preferred overtime and a chance to win their first game.
Also scoring at Kansas for the Runners, in order, were Aragon – for a 1-0 lead; Michael Stephens, with a rare assist from goalkeeper Nate Yeager; then two more goals by Aragon before a goal by Garcia, which made it a 6-5 Bandits’ lead with 5:20 left before intermission.
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Alan Lopez was easily the star of the game, with seven goals for the Bandits.
Amarillo 8, Runners 7: What had been a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter Saturday disappeared for good in the second period, when the Bombers outscored the Runners 3-0 and never trailed again.
The Bombers (3-1) knotted the score at 3:22 into the second quarter and tallied two more goals for a 6-3 lead.
The Runners weren’t done scoring, getting within 6-5 and, later, closing to 8-6 on a successful penalty kick by Josh Garcia with 9:09 left in the game.
Colton Oord, after the Runners pulled their goalkeeper in favor of another attacker, made the final score close, scoring with six seconds showing on the clock.
Also scoring in the game for the Runners were Ausitn Snyder, with two goals; Jaime Rodriguez, Julian Garcia and Edward Oropesa had one goal apiece.
