A couple sophomores spoiled Senior Night at Millennium in what will undoubtedly amount to a playoff match preview.
Underclassmen Bryce Fairchild and Hailey Sisk found the back of the net Feb. 10 for the visiting Peoria Sunrise Mountain Mustangs, who blanked the Millennium Tigers 2-0 in their 5A non-region match in Goodyear.
“We’re super excited to be able to play this season, and I know they were looking forward to playing some of the top teams. Obviously Millennium’s one of the top teams,” Sunrise Mountain’s first-year coach Sean Fallon said of the Tigers, the 2019 5A runner-up. “To be able to compete against them was good tonight.”
One day after the shutout, it turned out to be a Top 5-matchup.
The AIA on Thursday released its first soccer rankings of the 2020-21 season, and Sunrise checked in at No. 2 in 5A. Not only was the Wednesday night win enough to vault the Mustangs to 4-0 overall, it also marked their fourth straight shutout to open the season.
The Tigers, meanwhile, earned a No. 5 slot in the season’s first soccer poll. The loss was their first, dropping them to 6-1-1, and came as their third game in three nights, including an emotional 6-1 win over Arcadia -- ranked No. 9 -- the night before.
“It was just too much. Arcadia just beat us up, and playing on turf is tough,” Millennium coach David Cameron said. “It was a tough week. And then to come up and play (Sunrise Mountain)... they’re a good group.”
The sides battled to a scoreless tie at halftime, with the Tigers mostly dominating the run of play. Millennium senior Krystal Sanchez got set plays going with two corner kick opportunities in the last 50 seconds of the half, but Sunrise was able to hold them off.
The drought ended with 25:15 left to play when Fairchild found the back of the net from 25 yards out straightaway center.
While another corner kick opportunity came up empty for Millennium, this time with a header-doink off the crossbar a few minutes later, the Mustangs tacked on another goal. Sisk poked home a loose ball during a scrum in front of the net with 3:23 left to play.
Millennium looks to bounce back with a match against No. 7 Desert Mountain, which eliminated them in last year’s playoffs, Feb. 16 in Scottsdale. Waiting down the road is a Feb. 24 date against Campo Verde, which checks in at No. 4 on the statewide poll and who beat the Tigers 1-0 in a heartbreaking 5A championship match loss in 2019.
“We have a really good group. We didn’t look how we normally look,” Cameron said. “That’s just the nature of the game.”
Sunrise Mountain is on the road Feb. 16 against Agua Fria before opening a run of five straight matches on its home pitch, starting Feb. 18 with Gila Ridge.
Steve Stockmar News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment
YourValley.net @stevestockmar
Meet Steve Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.
Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.
Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.
Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.
Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.
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