By Eric Butler
MaxPreps.com
A wide-open field turned out to be a really good thing for the Rio Rancho girls soccer team last year. Ironically, when the Class 5A defending state champs lost on Monday to rival Cibola, the Rams may have just given hope to the rest of the contenders for this year's crown.
Up until that game, Rio Rancho (15-3) was on cruise control for the past month. The Rams, led by senior Kelly Angerosa and sophomore Elizabeth Hemminger at forwards as well as twins Amanda and Courtney Solwick defensively, had won nine straight contests – including 1-0 triumphs over La Cueva, Sandia and Cibola.
The Sandia game was a rematch of Rio Rancho's stunning three-goal comeback in the 2007 championship. The victory over La Cueva for the Rams' was proof they could beat a perennial power that was not in last year's playoff path.
"It was the first win ever over La Cueva for us," Rio Rancho coach Uwe Balzis said. "I'm really surprised with our team because they've come along so well."
Then there was Cibola. After falling to the Rams earlier in the year, the Cougars rebounded this week to beat Rio Rancho 2-1.
Cibola got goals from Taylor Williams and Molly Escajeda in opening a two-goal advantage in the first half. Rio Rancho cut into the deficit in the game, which was a make-up for a rained out contest scheduled for last Tuesday (Oct. 14), on a penalty kick just before halftime.
But the score remained the same and the Cougars girls are still in contention for a district title – If they can win their remaining matches.
"It kind of puts things back on more of an even keel after the loss to West Mesa," said Cibola coach Jeff Tolley, referring to a loss to the Mustangs a week ago.
Although Tolley's squad has an overall record of only 11-8, the win over Rio Rancho confirmed a belief that the Cougs' coach has held from the beginning of the year: Namely, that his team has a chance come state tourney time next weekend.
Along with several others.
"It's odd this year, even more than last year, in that nobody is undefeated. Nobody is really showing to be a dominant power. In Albuquerque, in no specific order, you've got Rio Rancho, La Cueva, Sandia, Eldorado that are beating each other," Tolley said. "Then you've got Las Cruces and we fall in there somewhere."
The Class 4A girls soccer scene may be ripe for a new champ as upstart Volcano Vista illustrated again in Wednesday (Oct. 22).
The Hawks, in their first season of varsity play, knocked off four-time defending 4A state champion St. Pius 2-1 as freshman Olivia Ferrier tallied both goals for the victors.
It was the second time that Volcano Vista (14-5) had defeated the once-dominant Sartans – who fell to a record of 10-9 with the loss.
In boys soccer, a more clear-cut favorite exists in Class 5A and it's in the form of La Cueva.
The Bears are on a current 10-game winning streak, including seven shutouts – adding to their season total of 13 whitewashes. La Cueva (18-2) finished the regular season on Thursday (Oct. 23) with a victory over Valley.
"We're a little banged-up right now, but we're pretty deep and pretty balanced," La Cueva boys coach Larry Waters said. "Right now, we're more concerned about getting everybody healthy."
Only two blemishes exist on the Bears' schedule this year. One was a 2-0 setback to Eldorado early in the year and the other was a 3-1 loss to Sacramento (Calif.) Jesuit on Sept. 20.
Junior Carson Baldinger, with 26 goals and 10 assists, is one of the state's leading scorers in Class 5A while senior midfielder Brandon Baca is a key cog in the La Cueva offense as he's tallied 21 assists.
But the Bears' defense, led by senior Mitchell Garver, senior Jeff Jacobus, junior Aaron Tafoya and sophomore Ryan Hinson, is not to be overlooked.
"We're solid defensively. We've got a great core of four guys," Water says. "They've been real solid all season."
