This morning, the Academy boys varsity soccer team played in the quarterfinals of the state tournament against Alamogordo.

The players have spent the last ten days practicing, trying to stay match fit without the benefit of matches. On the bus ride north, the boys were particularly quiet as all of the waiting was just about over and the playing was finally at hand.

This year, the state tournament is being played on the large, grass fields at the soccer complex on the Santa Ana pueblo. The views of the Sandias are amazing, but weather also sweeps across the open mesa. During warmups, there was a light drizzle and a persistent, gusting wind.

Coach Kolek had scouted Alamogordo the week before and reported that they were very talented, well coached, and could be dangerous in the attack. As the game started, all of these points were confirmed as Alamogordo kept the ball in the Academy’s defensive half for much of the first fifteen minutes of play. The Academy found it difficult to link passes from the defense up into the attack. At one point, Alamogordo sent a deep cross that held up in the wind and keeper Ryan O’Malia ’17 jumped up and saved it while colliding with a forward. This game was going to be physical and intense.

As the half wore on, the Academy started to win more of the play and create stronger chances. Charles Touche ’17 had a shot after a long corner kick saved at the back post. Lucas Jepsen ’19 had a breakaway shot saved on an aggressive slide by the Alamogordo keeper. In the thirty-third minute, the Academy passed through the midfield, Lucas found space on the right wing, slotted the ball to Mateo Centenera ’20 in the corner, who crossed to Charles for the shot. Goal. Alamogordo responded by picking up their intensity. With seconds remaining in the half, Alamogordo linked passes down the left wing and the Academy couldn’t clear the ball. There was confusion as the ball bounced around and a forward slashed a shot into the net from the edge of the penalty box. At halftime, the score was tied 1-1.

In the second half, the Academy realized how much they had been fighting the wind as well as their opponent. Now Alamogordo had trouble clearing the ball and the Academy was much more on the attack. Ten minutes in, Ryan Sabol ’19 sped up the left flank and passed to Jackson Taylor ’19 who slotted a perfect through pass to a sprinting Hardy Stone ’18. He calmly finished and the Academy had the lead again. The game became even more intense and physical. Both sides took runs at each other, but the Academy was having the more dangerous chances. With four minutes left, Ryan once again attacked up the left, lofted a perfect ball over the defense, and Charles sprinted in and touched the ball past the keeper. Two minutes later, Paul Devine ’17, defending aggressively, stole the ball from the defense at the end line and cut a short pass to Charles, who finished with his left foot for the games last goal.

The final, 4-1, does accurately describe how tough a match this was.

Tomorrow, at 10:30, Albuquerque Academy will face Los Alamos in the semi-finals. Albuquerque Academy has faced them three times already this season and owns a 2-1 record against them.