Wranglers cap home slate with blowout win

Robert Galbreath, rgalbreath@pinedaleroundup.com
Posted 5/19/22

The Pinedale Wrangler boys’ soccer team relentlessly hammered away at the Lyman Eagles in the first half of the May 13 game at Sunny Korfanta Field.

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Wranglers cap home slate with blowout win

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PINEDALE – The Pinedale Wrangler boys’ soccer team relentlessly hammered away at the Lyman Eagles in the first half of the May 13 game at Sunny Korfanta Field.

An aggressive Wrangler offense struck deep into Eagle territory. Pinedale’s midfield followed, tightening the screws on the Eagles.

Senior Jafet Martinez delivered a powerful kick through Lyman’s first line of defense. Pinedale pressed forward, its coordinated offense sending the Eagles scrambling in confusion, their goalie stepping out of the box.

Senior Gaige Zook swiftly maneuvered the ball forward and slammed it into the net.

Zook’s goal set the momentum for the Wranglers to trounce Lyman, 7-0, a fitting victory for Pinedale’s last home game on Senior Recognition Night.

The Wranglers rounded out their season with an away game against Mountain View the following Saturday. Pinedale put up a determined fight, briefly tying the game, 1-1, in the first half. The Buffaloes scored a second goal and held onto their narrow lead through the second half to score a 2-1 win.

Head coach J.D. Dudrey praised the grit the Wranglers exhibited to end the season.

“I was really proud of the effort in both games over the weekend,” he said. “It was nice to see us put up quite a few goals against Lyman. Hopefully some of that confidence can carry over into next season for the kids.”

Dudrey also highlighted Pinedale’s perseverance through a challenging season.

“For the tough season that we had, I would like to recognize each player on the team for their dedication, work ethic and willingness to improve,” he said. “We were eliminated from the State Tournament with over a month left in the season, and it would be very easy for the kids to just be done at that point. These kids were not done, though, and they played their hearts out until the final whistle of the last game.”

Lyman

Pinedale hounded Lyman in the first half, dominating control of the ball. Zook scored the first goal for the Wranglers in the opening minutes.

The Eagles made a few forays over midfield but were met by a tight defense from senior Christian Cagay, senior Jackson Harber and sophomore Dustin Larsen. Sophomore goalie Brody Hamby caught a save.

Zook delivered a shot on goal. Jackson Harber defended the backfield with a header, followed by a powerful clearance by sophomore Jayce Ramage.

Senior James Winkelkotter maneuvered the ball into Eagle territory, sending a shot on goal. Hamby dove for his second save. Freshman Christian Sosa-Sanchez drove the ball over midfield and kicked a shot on goal.

Lyman was called out for a foul, setting Martinez up to score a goal on a penalty shot, increasing Pinedale’s lead to 2-0.

Jackson Harber, Larsen and senior Nicholas Boyce kept the backfield clear while Sosa-Sanchez and freshman Edwin Vega Hernandez put pressure on the Eagles’ goalie with a pair of shots on goal.

Colbin March dribbled the ball down the center of the field and scored.

The halftime score stood at 3-0 in Pinedale’s favor.

Sophomore Graham Harber opened the second half with a shot on goal. Ramage led a charge into Eagle territory. Cagay and Jackson Harber prevented Lyman from scoring with defensive footwork.

Winkelkotter drove the ball across midfield, found an opening and scored. Less than 60 seconds later, sophomore Dylan Call kicked the ball down the center for a second goal.

Sosa-Sanchez took advantage of a gap in Lyman’s defense to score.

Sophomore William Harber entered the fray and delivered a shot on goal. Hamby protected the net with a pair of saves.

The Eagles fouled, allowing Martinez to score on a free kick.

As the final minutes ticked down, Boyce cleared the backfield and Larsen advanced into Eagle territory for a shot on goal.

Mountain View

Pinedale fought the Buffaloes to a 1-1 draw midway into the first half. Mountain View took advantage of a penalty kick to take the lead, 2-1, at halftime.

Mountain View parked the bus in the second half, said coach Dudrey, preventing the Wranglers from scoring and allowing the Buffaloes to pull out the win.

“Against Mountain View we played pretty well,” said Dudrey. “Dylan Call scored our only goal of the game in the first half on a fantastic curving shot from outside the 18.”