GRANTS, N.M. - The Grants Lady Pirates soccer team was back in Taos on Saturday, September 19, but only for a single game, and not in a tournament situation.
This time, facing Taos in a single game, the Lady Pirates were nervous.
Taos is a tough team, ranked second in all of the 4A classification, and the Lady Pirates were very aware of this.
However, that didn’t dim their spirits.
“Going into these types of games, it’s important to start off with a strong mindset,” senior captain Sienna Salazar said. “Starting off believing you're going to lose, you've already lost.”
The game started off rocky, with Taos scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes. Many teams would drop their heads and give up after this, but not the Lady Pirates. The girls dug deep, letting this setback give them more determination.
The Lady Pirates held Taos off for much of the rest of the first half, as Taos was able to score one more goal, but it wasn’t easy.
The second half also started off unwantedly, with Taos scoring right after kickoff. After that though, the Lady Pirates once again held them almost the entire second half. In the final two minutes, the girls really needed to reach deep and finish off strong, but unfortunately, couldn’t stop the Tigers from scoring their final goal.
The final score ended up at 5-0, and the Lady Pirates were frustrated that they gave up the last goal, but they were overall pleased with the way they played and how hard they fought, considering the tough Taos team.
“We just need to dig deep and work on controlling the first two minutes, and the last two, that’s when we get scored on the most,” head coach Shaun Sanchez said. “Later on, hopefully, we’ll get to where we can control the majority of the game.”
This week, the girls were slated to face off against undefeated Hope Christian on Tuesday, September 20. This team, ranked 10th nationally, forms arguably the greatest competition they’ve faced in a long time or will face this season.
It’s a definite test for the Lady Pirates, and on Thursday, September 24, the team will face off against Belen at home, beginning at 5 PM.
Last year, the two teams had a great battle, and on senior night, the Lady Pirates dug deep for the victory.
Even the early-season matchup was close last year, so the game could prove to be explosive.