Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

Typically, soccer teams enter overtime fairly exhausted and goals often result from mistakes of worn-out players.

During Tuesday night's 4A girls soccer first round playoff game, Phoenix Thunderbird hit the accelerator when extra time started. The home team spent the first six minutes of overtime dominating possession and blitzing the Sunrise Mountain goal before finally breaking a scoreless deadlock.

Junior forward Megan Hurley got loose right down the middle and poked the ball past charging sophomore goalkeeper Sierra Colby and into the net before they collided. Then, in the opening minute of the second overtime, freshman Adessa Correa sprinted down the left flank and slid the ball across to Hurley, who again just beat Colby to it.

That burst of dominance propelled No. 8 Thunderbird (15-2) past No. 9 Sunrise Mountain (12-5-2) 2-0. The Chiefs will travel to top seed Flagstaff for Saturday's quarterfinal.

"I told them after the game that was what I was most pleased with, was the way they came out in the first overtime — that they came out to prove they were the better team. They came out pressing right away to score a goal," Thunderbird coach Angelo Iozzo said.

Thunderbird similarly controlled the last 20 minutes of the first half, only to no avail on the scoreboard. Hurley had a shot that sailed wide, and juniors Lexy Aguilar and Xitaly Hernandez also had near misses.

Four minutes before the half Hernandez cased down a through ball just before the end line and turned. Colby slid in and blocked her shot before they collided. Both had to come off with injuries, though Colby only had the wind knocked out of her and returned quickly.

Freshman backup keeper Emily Richards made a save before Colby returned near halftime.

"I felt like there was no need to get nervous or to really change our game plan. I thought we had to clean up a couple things and play a little faster," Iozzo said. "I  was confident that we were going to get a goal in the second half. Obviously that didn't happen, though we created some chances and  didn't finish. I knew it was going to be a tough game. Sunrise Mountain's a good team with a great coach."

Sunrise Mountain kicked into gear in the second half. Sophomore Anna Ramirez set up two solid chances. Senior Calli Gregory sent a pass across the mouth of the goal.

The hosts replied and Dvana Darwood was brought down in the box for a penalty kick — loudly disputed by the Mustangs contingent. Darwood herself stepped into the box in the 62nd minute but her Colby guessed right and smothered her penalty kick.

"I felt in the first half we kind of withstood those last 10 minutes and were gritty. In the second half, I thought we were the better tea,. They got a penalty kick and had a one-on-one with the keeper, but otherwise I felt good about of second half," Sunrise Mountain coach Erik Andersen said. "I felt good going into overtime. Them scoring early in that overtime. And for our girls I think it was a confidence thing."

This was Andersen's second year as coach and second playoff trip after the always-strong program under Shauna Johnson fell mightily in 2015-16. Sunrise Mountain was a lower seed last year, but pulled a road playoff upset at Walden Grove before falling in thew second round at Prescott.

The coach said this eight-girl senior class has played a large role in rebuilding the program.

"It's a really good group of kids that create a family atmosphere. They do a lot of things off the field together and create those relationships where they're hopefully going to be lifelong friends," Andersen said. I think when you have that, plus pretty talented kids, as long as we're working hard as a team, we're always going to be successful."

But the cupboard will not be bare for the Mustangs as they move up to 5A next year.

For example, Colby will return after a match that does not go to overtime without her heroics. Three top forwards also will return, and the team's prolific freshman should be at full strength.

"We have a lot of talented younger players. Our goalie made a ton of great saves tonight and she's a sophomore. Anna Ramirez is a kid on the left side who creates opportunities several times a game. Justine Underwood, who's a freshman, had 22 goals and she missed eight games. She had pneumonia for three weeks and is like a week removed for that," Andersen said.

Sunrise Mountain's Sydney Tidd (#9) passes the ball up the field against Thunderbird on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 at Thunderbird High School in Phoenix. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]