GIRLS SOCCER SANTA FE PREP AT ST. MICHAEL’S

By Arnie Leshin

It was a ending that brought a wild finish to Wednesday afternoon’s Class 2-3A girls soccer match at the Christian Brothers Athletic Complex.

This was for the top spot in district, the second meeting after Santa Fe Prep’s 4-3 win at Sun Mountain Field last month, and it was a dandy played at St. Michael’s.

It began with a first half follow-up goal at 15:14 from Griffins’ senior mid-fielder Luisa Hirsch-Arnett, but back came the Lady Horsemen at 31:30 when senior mid-fielder Tara Scneider booted in a shot from about 27 yards out.

Next came a rebounded shot credited to Prep senior forward Marley Belyen to put the Griffins up 2-1, but with time winding down until the intermission, St. Michael’s sophomore forward Sophia Miera headed it into the net on an assist from senior mid-fielder Jada Lujan, and we had a 2-2 first-half deadlock that covered the second half.

Regulation done and next came the first of two 10-minute overtimes. That’s it, no shootouts, only these overtimes, a tie is how it will end.

And so the first OT concluded with the same score, 2-2. But the second one, with 10:04 remaining, the corner kick from Lujan bounded in net caught by four players, two from each team, which meant “Own goal, game over, St. Michael’s wins.”

The wild celebration began not long after Scneider, who had recently come off the injury list, went down again on a foul and she was sidelined for the day most likely with a leg injury that the Lady Horsemen trainer Valerie didn’t care to reveal, nor did the school’s athletic director.

So with Scneider looking on with the team’s other four injured players, the wild and wooly pre-Halloween ending gave St. Michael’s first place in district at 7-1, 10-6-2 overall, and Prep dropping to 5-1-1 in district and 10-8-1 overall.

Miera, a stellar player with quickness and leadership, finished with a goal and a pair of assists. Her partner in talent, Lujan, fits right in as the team’s dandy double. And woes to Scneider, hopefully she will recover to play in the state tournament.   

These two rivals could likely meet in the state tournament. The brackets will be announced by the New Mexico Athletic Association on Sunday.

Within two minutes of playing an actual one hour of girls soccer, the clock ticked down when a corner kick from sophomore Sophia Miera bounded into the goal into the hands of four players, two tried to bat it away, two just  tried to just grab it, and just like this this marathon ended on an “own”.