Storm batter Demonettes
Top-ranked Cleveland scores three times in first half, hands Santa Fe High its first loss of season
If you’re going to be the best, you have to play the best. On Monday night on its home turf, the Santa Fe High girls soccer team crossed paths with the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5A and came away feeling it has what it takes to be among the state’s top teams come playoff time.
Arissa C’de Baca scored two goals for Cleveland, which headed home with a 4-1 win. It’s the first loss of the season for the Demonettes (10-1-1), who hadn’t given up more than two goals in any game this season.
They also hadn’t come close to facing a team the caliber of Cleveland, a team on a mission after losing in the state finals a year ago.
“We’re definitely feeling we’re in the top five and maybe have a chance to get one of the top four spots,” said Santa Fe High coach Justin Najaka. “We came out a little flat, which you can’t do against a team like Cleveland.”
The top-ranked Storm (13-1) scored three times in the first half, controlling the pace of play from the outset. They had seven shots on goal in the first 40 minutes, continuously putting the pressure on the Demonettes’ defense.
They needed less than two minutes to take an early 1-0 lead.
“We knew they were going to do three things,” Najaka said. “They were going to press us, which they did.
They’re so good at that and we knew they were going to push it early with a good, hard shot. They also have all kinds of speed, girls getting into passing lanes and getting to their spots. The third thing is they have such good strong kicks. When they put a shot on you, you feel it.”
Santa Fe’s lone goal came on the first attacking possession of the second half when Asha Smelser broke through the Cleveland defense and scored an unassisted goal from about 75 feet away to cut the Storm lead to 3-1. Her looping line drive went over the Storm goalkeeper’s hands.
It was Smelser’s 18th goal of the season, tying her for the team lead with Elsa Ranney Smith.
It turned out to be the last good opportunity for the Demonettes. With Cleveland’s defense limiting attacks to one or two passes, the Storm were never seriously threatened in the second half. They added an insurance goal to seal it, nearly scoring again on a shot from within the box that was knocked down by Demonettes goalkeeper Kaya Schlesinger-Hanson.
“The first 10 minutes of the second half was an example of how we can play,” Najaka said. “It got us pumped up, that first goal. That’s the thing about
Cleveland, though, it’s hard to keep that up.”
The Storm’s only loss this season came to Hope Christian. Known as much for their explosive speed as they are their stingy defense, they also did the little things in Monday’s match to get a slight edge.
As Najaka pointed out, their first-half goal from Angeline Montoya was placed at just the right angle that Schlesinger-Hanson appeared to have a hard time tracking it because she was staring into the setting sun.
Santa Fe High did manage to get a little offense in the second half, finishing the match with seven shots.
“I think this is something we’ll come away from feeling good about ourselves,” Najaka said. “You look at the other teams out there. Eldorado’s really good, La Cueva. I think we have the potential to be a top-five. We haven’t seen those other teams much, so getting games like this, it kind of lets us know where we are.”
At the moment, Santa Fe High is ranked No. 4 in the Class 5A MaxPreps poll, trailing only Cleveland, La Cueva and Las Cruces. The Demonettes’ loss leaves just La Cueva and Las Cruces as the only remaining undefeated teams.