Pirate Draw With Sky Pointe Leaves Seeding In The Air

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley High School Girls Soccer team opened on Tuesday October 16 by travelling to Sky Pointe’s dreaded home soccer field. The field is notorious for its numerous uncomfortable playing qualities. In a game that was a must win for the Pirates to take a first seed in the Sunrise, the Pirates saw some struggles.

The Moapa team opened with a fast start. In the first half, Kaitlyn Hopkins put Moapa Valley on the board to make it 1-0. Hopkins was assisted on the play by Italia Bracamontes. The Pirates would take that lead into the halftime intermission.

In the second half, Sky Pointe began turning things around. Eventually the Eagles scored a goal of their own to even the score up. Now 1-1, the Pirates needed to gather the energy and drive for another offensive attack.

But the Eagles defense stifled Moapa Valley and would return the favor dealt to them in the first half with a second half shutout of the Pirates. The final score would stay 1-1, Moapa’s first draw of the season. This result came at the least convenient time for the Pirates, who had their eyes set on the top seed.
“My girls weren’t playing the way they needed to be playing to keep the lead,” said Pirate coach Lisa Cornwall. “To us, it was a loss.”

Cornwall also commented on the field conditions as well. “The field is always tricky but to say it’s just the field isn’t true,” she said. “I give kudos to teams that come out and have that desire and they (Sky Pointe) had it.”

Cornwall remained positive and confident in her team’s ability. “My girls are resilient,” she said. “They talk to each other a lot and know they got themselves in a hole but they’re ready to scratch themselves out.”

With playoffs just around the corner, Cornwall said that it’s better for her girls to receive their reality check now rather than down the road when the stakes are high.

The Pirates also had a non-league matchup at home under the primetime lights against the Mojave Rattlers on Thursday. The team used this opportunity to find their rhythm once again.
The Pirates cleanly took care of business against Mojave with an 8-0 final score and an early final whistle in their favor.

Hopkins scored once again. Staheli sisters Makenzie and Sierra both added a goal. Peyton Schraft and Italia Bracamontes put it in the net twice each. and Ashlyn Western, who returned from a heel injury a week earlier, scored on a penalty kick.

The Pirates sit in the third place spot in their division, with the playoffs all but certain, but seeding very much on the line. A road game this week against the Boulder City Eagles will wrap up their regular season.

“It’s kind of one of those pivotal games,” Cornwall said. “I want them to be able to prove to themselves they can be in that number one spot.”