NMMI Sports Press
The Colt Varsity Soccer team moved to 2-0 on the young season with a 5-3 victory over the visiting Clovis Wildcats Tuesday night at Stapp Parade Field on the NMMI campus.
“It’s only our second game. We’re still learning how to play together, who’s playing where, who is playing their best football at which position. And we’re still getting in shape,” said NMMI head coach John Barbour. “But this was a great game. I was really happy with our shooting. We had some good opportunities in the first half, but couldn’t quite make them happen.”
For much of the first half, the game stayed on the Wildcats’ side of the field as the Colts applied pressure and had about a half dozen chances near the goal, but couldn’t quite get the clean look they needed.
Just before halftime, Clovis struck first on a goal that Barbour said was too easy due to lack of communication by the Colt defense.
“We weren’t tracking the guy in the far post, we weren’t talking and letting each other know what was happening,” he explained. “So they were able to get a really easy goal with a great cross and finish. I won’t take anything away from them, they played hard, but we talked about finishing our opportunities at halftime and we came back out and did that.”
The Colts scored all five goals in the second half, with the first coming in the opening minutes from senior Daniel De Rueda, tying the contest at one goal apiece. De Rueda gave his squad the lead minutes later on the feed from senior David Portugal.
Rueda returned the favor and delivered a nice pass to Portugal who buried the ball in the net to give the Colts a 3-1 advantage midway through the second half.
Goalkeeper Leonardo Lopez put his body on the line to make some big saves and the Colt defense clogged the lanes to keep Clovis out of the goal.
Senior Humberto Valdes made it 4-1 in favor of the Institute when he fought his way through three Clovis defensemen a couple times each to find a clearing in front of the goal and poke the ball in for the easy score.
The Wildcats scored another to make it 4-2, but with the minutes winding down, Portugal put the game away with a bending shot from the left side that curved into the bottom-right corner of the goal, just out of reach of a diving Clovis keeper. The Colt bench, including Barbour, roared with approval.
“When a right-footed player can get a good ball on the left side and cut it across the 18 (18-yard box or penalty area) and curl that ball to the far post, it’s just a great feeling. Great to accomplish, great to watch,” Barbour said with a smile. “If you love soccer, you love that. It was a great shot, perfectly placed and it got me fired up!”
The Colt JV squad was less successful, falling 8-3 to the Wildcat junior varsity earlier in the evening.
The Colts are back on the pitch Friday at the Cielo Grande Sports Complex here in Roswell to take part in the Coyote Classic, put on by Roswell High. They’ll play one game Friday and two Saturday. Game times and opponents are to be determined.