GRANTS, N.M. - The Grants High School Girls’ Soccer Team had a very exciting game on Saturday, August 30, their last of a tournament in Rehoboth.
The Lady Pirates were facing Gallup, a team they had scrimmaged earlier this season, losing 3-0. This game, however, had a very different turnout.
The game was long and well-fought, ending in a tie, but the Lady Pirates didn’t leave it as a tie. The tiebreaker was decided to be a shootout, when five players from each team take a penalty kick against the other team's goal keeper. The team who scores the most penalties out of the five wins the game.
Gallup had the first kick against Grants’ goal keeper Katalina Salazar, and as the ball went over the goal, the Grants sideline jumped with excitement. The next shot ended the same for Gallup, and the first Grants player up to take her penalty kick was co-captain Kelly King, who stepped back, took a breath, kicked, and scored.
“Having Kelly take that first penalty was something I felt very confident about, and she stepped up and buried it,” head coach Shaun Sanchez said. “That immediately gave us momentum and showed everyone we were ready.”
Ariya Herrera scored another penalty kick for the Lady Pirates and the next player stepped up for Gallup.
Salazar blocked that kick and Grants’ Alyssa Newberry stepped up, ready to take her shot, with all the pressure on her. A score meant a victory for Grants, but a miss would give Gallup a chance at winning.
Her shot missed just by a hair, but Gallup failed on its ensuing kick to set the stage for the final fireworks.
Grants co-captain Marli Prendergast stepped up to take her penalty kick with a shot at giving the Lady Pirates the win. She buried her kick in the back of the Gallup net and the entire Grants team ran onto the field to congratulate her.
“It was really nerveracking, and I was really anxious,” Prendergast said. “After I scored, it was such an immense relief, and so exciting at the same time. I was just really proud of our whole team.”
Sanchez admitted he was anxious too, but “it was the kind of anxiety that comes from wanting your team to succeed.”
Now, the work continues for the Lady Pirates, who have already matched their win total (the team is currently 2-5 overall) from a year ago.
Sanchez said he hopes to see the win over Gallup provide some momentum for Grants going forward.
“After a win like that, there is definitely a wave of excitement and joy,” he said, “It was a hard-fought match, and seeing the girls celebrate after putting in that kind of effort was really rewarding. More than anything, I was proud of how they responded when the game got difficult.”
And Sanchez said that he is keeping his team grounded in the things they can control.
“We can control our effort, our attitude, our preparation, and how we respond to adversity,” he said. “This team is still growing, and we are continuing to learn. A win like this can give a team confidence, but I also want the girls to understand that one result doesn't define us. The work continues.”
The Lady Pirates played Gallup again on Tuesday, September 8, and will host Bloomfield at the “Port of the Pirates” on Thursday, September 10.