Hilltoppers' last-minute goal ends Taos' season

With the game tied, both teams are on the clock to break it. The Tigers got a break when one of the Hilltoppers committed a foul that gave Taos a penalty kick. The Tigers stayed aggressive in the start of the second half and were rewarded with decent tries at the Los Alamos goal.

Eventually, the Tigers caught a break, and sure enough the boys delivered shortly in the second half. About 20 yards from the Los Alamos goal, Taos junior Benjamin Romero went for a counter and was fouled on the spot. Junior Joaquin Rose took the penalty kick against Los Alamos keeper Brendan French and sunk it to break even at 1–1.

However, the Hilltoppers were able to use their talent to beat Tigers defenders and get open for shots. The two battled for 36 minutes both offensively and defensively under the brilliant Los Alamos sky. Eventually, Topper senior Esteban Wright broke through the Taos backline with a clear shot against Taos goalkeeper Ozias Miller. With Miller dragged to the left, Wright shot to the right side of the post and found the back of the net.

With four minutes left of the half, the Tigers mounted an assault against Los Alamos’ Brendan French, but the junior kept burning the time and then some. In the end, a shot attempt by the Tigers was captured by French and the buzzer sounded. 

“I hope to see our younger teammates succeed,” Taos senior Santiago Rosales said after the game. “I started around my freshman [year], and they’re going to do pretty well [under the program].”

Taos boys varsity soccer coach Hafid Valencia was emotional after the loss, but praised his guys and thanked everyone that supported the team throughout the season.

“I’m just so proud. I’m so proud of this team and what they accomplished and what they became,” Valencia said. “We want to make leaders and that’s exactly what we did this year, man. We, as humans and as athletes — we grow as a team. It was beautiful. Nothing was held back, so there’s no regrets.

The Tigers boys closed out their season with an 11–7 overall record and finished second in their district campaign (4–2). The Tigers stand ninth place in the New Mexico 4A class, according to MaxPreps rankings. Miller also ranked as the top goalkeeper in the district with an average of .119 goals against him. Junior Joaquin Rose also ranked 22 for the most goals with 12.

After the game, Diego Trujillo, stepfather of junior defender Nicholous Jones,  congratulated the team for their valiant effort against Los Alamos. 

“I thought they played a heck of a game,” Trujillo said. “I’m going to miss these seniors. Nick has been playing with this group of kids since he was 5 years old. I’ve seen a lot of these kids grow up and it’s been a pleasure to watch them play. We’re looking forward to next year.”