By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
It’s very rare that both teams win after a soccer game ends.
Yet, in a way, that’s what happened Friday when the Pace Lady Vikings played host to the Porter Cowgirls in a District 32-5A match.
Technically, on the scoreboard, Pace was a 1-0 victor over the Cowgirls on penalty kicks.
But after the match, each team had a reason to be happy. Coupled with PSJA Southwest’s 3-0 win Friday against fifth-place Donna North, there were celebrations because it appeared the Lady Vikings (9-2, 25 points) and Cowgirls (7-4, 24 points) both have qualified for the Class 5A playoffs, and that’s the main goal each squad has sought to achieve this season.
SJA Southwest (9-2, 26 points) now is the sole district leader. Pace and Porter shared the 32-5A lead with the Lady Javelinas entering Friday’s action.
While Pace advanced to the postseason one year ago, going to the playoffs is a first for the Cowgirls, who started playing UIL soccer in 1998.
“First of all, I want to congratulate the Pace girls for making the playoffs,” Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal said. “I also want to congratulate the Porter girls. I’m glad to be witnessing history (as the Cowgirls make the playoffs for the first time).
“It was a hard-fought game tonight and both teams played well,” Villarreal added. “It’s a ‘clasico,’ and it’s always going to be that way (between these two city rivals).”
Each team had some promising scoring opportunities during 80 minutes of regulation. Deadlocked in a scoreless tie after those 80 minutes ended, the match went directly to penalties as per 32-5A rules.
Pace goalkeeper Hania Davila was a standout as she blocked the first two attempts by the Cowgirls, who went first in the PKs. Meanwhile, Kryssie Rivera went first for the Lady Vikings and converted her try for a 1-0 lead.
Porter’s Kasandra Reyes, her team’s fourth shooter, evened it 1-1, before Pace’s Ariana Garcia followed next and made good on her PK to provide the eventual 2-1 game-winner.
Officially, it goes down as a 1-0 triumph for Pace.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia said. “We just didn’t really play our game tonight, but it’s nice to make it to the playoffs after all this time.
“We still have a shot at the district title, so we’ll see what happens in these next three (32-5A) games (to close the regular season),” he added.