JOHN JOE RIVERA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN — The Brownsville Rivera Raiders are heading back to the third round of the playoffs for the second year in a row after an emotional, come-from-behind win against the McAllen Memorial Mustangs 3-2 on Tuesday night at Boxer Hernandez Stadium.
Alyssa Ayala netted the game-winning goal for the Raiders with just two minutes left in regulation.
“I burst out in tears, because we are making history,” Ayala said.
Both teams began the game sluggish and entered intermission scoreless.
“We weren’t playing with any kind of intensity or urgency,” Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “We changed that up and tried to play a few more sideline balls, and that gave us the chances, but we missed those chances.”
“At halftime, coach stepped aside, and we talked to the girls our way,” Ayala said. “We told them we need to step it up. We don’t want this to be our last game.”
Geo Hernandez got the Mustangs on the board first with a goal following a scrum in front of the Rivera net just five minutes into the second half.
The Mustangs’ Valerie Silva knocked in a header with 31:41 remaining to build a commanding 2-0 lead that stood for most of the second half.
At the 18-minute mark of the second half, Ashley Torres finally tallied the Raiders’ first goal of the night with a powerful shot right up the middle.
“On the opening goal, what can I say?” Torres said. “It was crazy!”
Brigitte Iglesias tied the game at 2 with a free-kick goal at the 5:03 mark.
“It was incredible, because we were down 2-1,” Iglesias said. “I told myself, I had to do it, I had to do it.”
With the game looking like it would head to a penalty-kick shootout, Ayala connected on the game winner at the 2:17 mark of the second half.
Despite coming out victorious, the Raiders know there is still more work to be done to continue their march through the state playoffs.
“There is always room to get better — more room for improvement,” Ayala said.
“And that starts with practice tomorrow,” Torres added.
With the win, the Raiders advance to the regional quarterfinal round to face McAllen Rowe, which blanked PSJA High 3-0 on Tuesday night.