Rams, Lady Rams sweep Ruidoso

STAFF WRITER

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The Lady Rams overcame errors, penalties and even their coach being ejected in the first half to end their 11-match losing streak, as Portales bested Class 4-4A foe Ruidoso 3-2 in overtime Thursday afternoon at home to end their regular season on a high note.

Staff photo: Matthew Asher

The Portales Lady Rams celebrate Kimberlie Hay’s, center, goal in the 2nd minute of overtime to end their 11-game losing streak. Portales won 3-2.

Late in the second half, Portales (6-14, 1-5 district) trailed 2-1 after allowing Ruidoso (3-12-1, 1-5) junior Savanna Case to score two goals in the second half: The first coming in the 44th minute and the second in the 77th minute. It looked like Portales was going to lose its 12th-straight match.

Fortunately for Portales, all those drills of practicing corner kicks paid off in a big way as junior Lillie Saiz would score her second goal of the game, and the equalizer, coming off a corner kick with less than 90 seconds less in regulation to send the game into overtime.

Ruidoso won the toss and took possession but Portales played with the sun at its back. Less than two minutes into overtime, Portales had their sixth and final corner-kick of the game. Fittingly, it was team captain junior Kimberlie Hay who got the header into the net and sent the home crowd into hysteria.

“It was amazing,” Hay said. “At first I didn’t think I was going to get the ball in because it hit off something else. I saw the ball first go over my head, moved around it and hit it with my head. It hit the top corner and fell in.”

Girls head coach Ruben Tellez was thrown out in the first half for arguing with the official over a no-call and had to sit out the rest of the game.

“It’s a great win for the program,” Tellez said after returning to the pitch after the game. “I want to thank the assistant coaches for filling in for me. I want to thank the girls for never quitting and always believing. They passed the ball great and shot well. We had two corner kick goals. This was a great way to end the regular season.”

The Portales boys cruised to a 6-0 victory in the following game to end a two-game losing skid of their own.

Portales (13-3-1, 4-2-1) kept their striking constant, totaling 20 shots in the contest, keeping winless Ruidoso (0-14, 0-8) on its heels the entire game.

“We played really well, back to the way we did before our (last) two losses,” boys coach Nathan Dodge said.

Portales took a 4-0 lead into the half and finished with two more goals in the game. Junior Salomon led the team with three goals with Pedro Perea, Omar Nunez and Diego Valunzuela each adding their own goal.

With one final game in the regular season, Portales knows it will be in the postseason and is using this next game as a tune-up.

“Right now we need to get into the mindset that we just need to win,” Dodge said. “It doesn’t matter if we play well or if we need a ton of shots. We just need to win from here on out.”

The Rams host NMMI on Saturday at 3 p.m.