ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Defense was the name of the game Friday for the Sandia boys soccer team.
After giving up a goal in the opening minutes of play to top-ranked La Cueva, the Matadors got serious about playing some D.
“We had a really good game,” said Sandia defender Nicasio Gonzalez. “We possessed the ball well.”
Sandia knocked off top-ranked La Cueva, ending a nine-game winning streak.
La Cueva had gone 10 games without a loss and had nine consecutive wins dating back to a 1-all tie to Sandia on Sept. 4
And during that stretch of domination, the Matadors were the only team to even get close to the Bears, losing 3-2 in the opener of district play.
And it looked like more of the same Saturday when La Cueva scored before most fans had even settled in for the game.
“We were surprised they scored so early,” Gonzalez said. “It took awhile to recover.”
But recover the Matadors did, clamping down on the explosive Bears’ offense by attacking it aggressively at midfield rather than letting La Cueva get deeper in the offensive end.
The Sandia defenders also used their height and strength to aggressively go after any balls in the air, Gonzalez said.
Sandia and La Cueva are rivals in just about every sport.
“They flat-out outplayed us,” said La Cueva coach Kevin Driggs. “I don’t want to take anything away from Sandia. It wasn’t because we didn’t play well. Sandia just played very well.”
Matadors coach Justin Sells credited his back line with making the big plays.
"I thought we did a lot of positive things," he said. "We passed the ball very well. Our defense, after that first goal did everything right."
It's the type of game that the Matadors can use to build momentum for state tournament, Sells said.
"This was a big game for us," he said. "They've been on the run and nobody's really been able to play with them this season. Hopefully this shows our guys that they can beat them but that it takes a complete effort from everybody."
Even with the loss, the Bears have to remain the favorite to repeat as state champions, Sells said.
"The state tournament still goes through La Cueva," he said.
For this one night, however, the Matadors can revel in their well-earned victory.
"This was a rivalry game," Gonzalez said. "So it felt good."
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