Coyotes take Clasico against Stallions
Christopher Cross/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Atiana Piñon keeps the ball away from a Madera South midfielder during Sunday’s 3-0 victory. Piñon scored a goal and added an assist in the win.
It took the Madera Coyotes girls soccer team less than two minutes to change the game in its favor against rivals Madera South in Memorial Stadium.
An early strike from Atiana Piñon put the Coyotes up in an intense County/Metro Athletic Conference clash against rivals Madera South and the hosts never looked back.
“It was a boost for us. Nothing changed with our game plan. We just tried to get another one after that,” Madera Coyotes head coach Cynthia Moreno said on her team’s fast start to Sunday’s match.
Madera rode an early goal, tacking on two more to upend the Stallions 3-0 Sunday at Memorial Stadium in a makeup game from earlier this season. Despite the weekend matchup, fans from both schools were there to support and that contributed to an intense atmosphere on the pitch.
Adriana Dana and Piñon led the way for the Coyotes with a goal and assist each.
Piñon opened the scoring with a goal inside the first two minutes of the match. Dana picked out her teammate just as the game opened up, putting the Coyotes ahead 1-0.
Madera capitalized on the early momentum swing scoring again behind an assist from Piñon, setting up teammate Emma Schubert. The sophomore Coyote’s clinical right-footed finish not only brought the Madera crowd to its feet, but it also shook the Stallions.
After going down two goals, Madera South needed to respond, but unfortunately, for Ramon Delgadillo’s girls, it wasn’t until the second half that the visitors began to open up. By then, it was too little, too late.
“We came out in the second half and we were playing much better as a team. The girls were not ready to play in the first half and Madera made it difficult for us,” Delgadillo said. “I am proud of how the team fought and never gave up. They showed a lot of intensity today.”
The Stallions came out eager to turn the tables on their next-door rivals.
Hazel Iniguez looked to take on the Coyotes stout back four, but was met by Coyotes defensive stopper Madison Barba. The pair battled throughout the game, with Barba getting the upper hand as she successfully kept Iniguez’s playmaking abilities in check.
The Coyotes ability to play physically demanding defense allowed Coyotes like Jazzell Ruiz to race down the pitch with room to run. Ruiz made a lightning-quick run early in the second half, forcing her Stallions counterpart to misplay the ball, allowing Ruiz to skip past her and past the halfway line towards the Madera South final third.
She tiptoed down the right flank before send a square ball into the heart of the pitch where Illiana Nolan awaited the pass. Nolan collected the ball before she was swarmed by Madera South defenders.
Madera sophomore Layla Martinez tried her best to put the game out of reach. Only up two goals, the Stallions still had a chance to get back into the game.
Martinez played the passing lanes before picking off an errant Stallions ball before being taken down just outside the Stallions final third.
Barba stepped up and took the free kick from 35 yards out. The ball was on target, but straight into the keepers gloves.
Brianna Maciel nearly notched one back for the Stallions with a curling effort late in the second half. The Stallions striker found a sliver of space before firing in a left-footed shot that landed in the hands of Coyote goalkeeper Jeslyn Daza.
Maciel followed that minutes later. In the 67th minute, the Stallion striker received a throw in from the left wing before dribbling past her defender. Maciel picked her head up and fired at Daza, who shepherded the ball out of danger.
The Stallions were finding space but couldn’t convert in the back of the net.
Madera iced the game with only minutes on the clock after Daaa capped off her night with a stunning solo goal.
The Coyote attacker collected a loose Stallions’ pass near the opponent final third. Dana picked up her head and fired in a looping shot from 25 yards out, beating Stallions goalkeeper Melani Rinder.
The crowd erupted as the Coyote forward ended the match with a jaw-dropping goal.
Madera rode out the final minutes to earn a 3-0 victory over Madera South.
