Lady Cats post second consecutive shutout win

CLOVIS - Through Thursday, it had been a pretty easy week for Clovis High's girls soccer team.

The Lady Wildcats breezed to a 10-0 win over Lovington on Monday night at Leon Williams Stadium, then thumped Artesia 6-0 on Thursday at the Yucca Middle School soccer complex.

On Saturday, they were slated to host a Socorro squad at the stadium which was off to a 3-0 start and had outscored its foes so far 22-0.

Bigger fish are yet to be fried. Stll, the Lady Cats (4-1) are enjoying their early success.

"I think the ball movement (against Artesia) was great," first-year coach Ray Rodriguez said. "We controlled the game pretty good."

The Lady Cats scored twice in the first 10 minutes, then completed their domination of the Lady Bulldogs (3-3) with four more tallies in the second half, the first two by senior midfielder Luisa Chavez.

Senior forward Neveah Coronado, who also had a second-half tally, said a 2-1 showing for third place the previous weekend in a season-opening tournament in Roswell boosted everyone's confidence.

"I think the tournament was good for us," she said. "We played some teams we normally don't play, and got to see how we work under pressure."

Rodriguez has instituted more of an up-tempo, attacking style this season, and Coronado said she enjoys it.

"We have more movement off the ball," she said. "It's more of a college style of soccer."

Junior Caley Adams and senior Aspen Ulibarri found the net in the opening stanza for Clovis, while senior midfielder Illeana Griego completed the scoring with about nine minutes to go.

"Scoring is coming from different players," Rodriguez said. "I'm not surprised (by the early success). The girls have bought into the system pretty good."

Clovis' next outing is a return match on Tuesday night at Lovington.

Portales 3, West Las Vegas 0 (Wednesday) - Break up the Lady Rams, who've suddenly put together a two-match winning streak.

Junior forward/midfielder Jolie Griffith had a pair of goals as PHS (2-2) reached the .500 mark by blanking the Lady Dons (0-1). Portales earned a win in the seventh-place match of a season-opening tournament last weekend in Roswell, beating District 4-4A rival Lovington on penalty kicks.

Senior forward/midfielder Zoe Roy put Portales on the board against the Lady Dons in the sixth minute of the match. Griffith scored late in the first half, then added icing to the cake with her second tally in the closing moments.

PHS has now compiled eight goals through four matches, after scoring just one in an 0-6 campaign during the spring.

"We've just got to keep up the momentum," Lady Rams coach Bonnie Britton said. "We're playing good soccer. We've used what we learned from last season."

Eighth-grader Lissette Gomez earned the shutout in goal, collecting four saves.

A scheduled boys match between the schools was canceled because the Dons did not have enough players to field a team.

Both PHS squads were slated to be in action on Saturday at Ruidoso.