By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
After more than 100 minutes logged by both Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Brownsville Pace during their District 32-5A opener, both sides had plenty of missed opportunities to lament.
But the Lady Chargers made the most of their chances when it mattered most, holding on for a 1-0 win by edging Pace 3-2 in penalty kicks after neither team scored in regulation or in the two overtime periods.
In the process, Brownsville Veterans coach Luis Troncoso earned his 100th career victory, commemorated by an elated bunch of players and some supporters who carried banners onto the field marking the occasion.
“I did know about (approaching 100 careers win prior to Friday’s game),” Troncoso said. “I knew it was going to be a tough game. … I wasn’t even thinking about (my record). It was a nice surprise that the girls put together.”
With the shootout even at 2, Lady Chargers goalkeeper Emma Gonzalez made a sprawling save to deflect Kenia Galvan’s penalty kick, making a second effort to punch the ball out of the air and safely away from the goal to set up Anakaren Garcia’s penalty clincher.
Gonzalez and her counterpart, Jazul Amaya of Pace, made impressive saves to preserve the deadlock throughout Friday’s contest.
Pace’s Paloma Zamora and Jacquelyn Palomino facilitated most of the offense for the Lady Vikings. The visitors rallied behind Palomino after she was carted off the field at the 22-minute mark of the second half and returned late in regulation.
Brownsville Veterans’ Ania Laguna, Vivianna Gutierrez, Leah Rodriguez and Raquel Cepeda all generated clean looks during regulation or overtime, and all three were denied by Amaya.
“It was a very evenly matched game,” Troncoso said. “We had our opportunities, they had their opportunities, and they kind of neutralized each other.”