If it wasn’t for an own-goal by the Mingus Union High School girls soccer team Tuesday, Dec. 7, the Marauders might be singing a different tune.
Instead, Mingus lost to rival Notre Dame Preparatory Academy, which is also ranked No. 2 in the state, 2-1.
“Sometimes that happens,” Mingus Head Coach Buddy Rhodes said in a phone interview Wednesday, Dec. 8. “We had some injuries and were shorthanded, and we still competed with one of the best teams in the state.”
At the Las Vegas Invitational this past weekend, Mingus lost senior forward Kayla Dixon to an ankle injury and she was unable to play in Tuesday night’s match against Notre Dame.
In the first half and down 2-0, Mingus lost another star in senior defensive standout Jesse Zaske, who injured her knee.
“I don’t think we’re going to get her back for a while; it wasn’t good. We’ll send her to a doctor in the next day or two and see what the prognosis is,” Rhodes said.
With 10 minutes to go and the outcome very much in doubt, Mingus lost another top player in junior forward Torey Braly, who went up for a header and literally smacked heads with another player, causing her to get a nice bump on the head and a seat on the bench next to Dixon and Zaske.
“At the end of the match, we had one starter from last season on the field,” Rhodes said. “That speaks to how talented our young girls are coming up. They played great.”
Notre Dame scored in the 10th and 24th minutes to take the 2-0 lead heading into halftime. The second goal in the 24th minute is the one that Mingus scored on themselves, causing a disappointed look on many Marauders players’ faces.
In the second half, however, senior Lashea Taylor deflected in a direct kick from sophomore Nataly Escamilla to score Mingus’ first goal of the match, making it a 2-1 affair with just under 32 minutes to go.
The rest of the way, both teams were even but in the end, Mingus couldn’t overcome the 2-1 deficit and lost to a bitter rival.
“Notre Dame is a well-respected team. They are very good. It’s a tough loss for us but it happens,” Rhodes said.
Senior goalkeeper Courtney Hageman recorded five saves on the night while junior Taylor Brott filled in for her in the second half and recorded three saves.
With the loss, Mingus drops to 4-2 overall this season and should still be ranked in the top five in the 4A-II conference come next week when the rankings come out.
Next up, Mingus will travel to Thunderbird High School, which is ranked No. 1 in the 4A-II, on Thursday, Dec. 9.
Scheduled start time for the match is set for 6 p.m.
