Penalty kicks win for Chaparral again

Nick Christensen

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

It wasn't the World Cup final or Necaxa against Chivas at Mexico's Azteca Stadium, but the pressure was just as intense as Chaparral and Desert Pines went to penalty kicks tied at 2-2 in Thursday's Sunrise Region semifinal at the Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex.

The fans were impatiently singing, chanting, and cheering. Players stood nervously at center field.

After more than 75 minutes of scoreless soccer, the atmosphere was that intense, and the result was just as rewarding. When Oscar Molina's goal sailed past the Jaguars' Luis Gil in the fifth round of penalty kicks, teammates, friends and family swarmed him as the Cowboys advanced in overtime, 5-3 on kicks, for the second consecutive game.

The Cinderella fourth seed from the Northeast Division, Chaparral will face Valley (NE-1) in Saturday's Sunrise Region final.

"This time of year, you have to make sure you're ready for penalty kicks," Chaparral coach Dan Schell said. "We practice for going through the procedures for penalties."

Molina played hero once again after scoring a golden goal Tuesday to eliminate Southeast champion Coronado. He said he felt confident going into his potentially game-winning try.

"I was just concentrating on winning," he said. "We have to take it one kick at a time."

The other hero for Chaparral was Velasquez, whose early-shootout save gave the Cowboys the edge. Velasquez joined the team late in the season after qualifying academically.

"He got his grades up, and tranied every day," Schell said. "He did his job in the classroom at the start of the year, and he's doing his job in goal now."

Valley coach Terry Pryer thought his team could have played better than they did, despite scoring within the first five minutes of the game.

"We proved to ourselves we don't have to have our A game to win," Pryer said. "We'll need it against Chaparral, they have the best squad on our side of the valley. It's going to be a war ... we've gotten the better of them so far this year."

"I knew we could score," Gorman coach Victor Arbalaez said of his team's offensive showcase. "We've played them twice, but the third time is always the toughest."

The focus for Centennial and coach Rick Kazee now shifts to Gorman.

"It always comes down to us and Gorman," Kazee said afterwards, adding that he still prefers a balanced attack to a one-player focus. "But if you want to put Mike Zaher on our team, I'll take it. Heck, I'll even take his little brother."

Joking aside, Kazee said he felt that his team is just as dangerous as the Gaels.

"We can play with them," he said. "They have to stop us just as much as we have to stop him."