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Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat Lady Lion Aubree Wise and a Madill Lady Wildcat go after the ball in a recent game. -
Lion Israel Soliz runs for the ball. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat
A pair of narrow victories put the Durant Lion soccer team firmly in the District 5A-1 chase while the Lady Lions split two league contests last week.
Durant’s girls squad needed overtime but scored a 2-1 sudden death win over Lawton MacArthur for their first triumph over the Lady Highlanders in three years. Defense was again stellar against Choctaw, but the Lady Lions couldn’t crack the scoreboard in a 2-0 defeat.
Coach John Wilmoth’s Lions, meanwhile, made the most of their opportunities to snag a 3-2 win over Lawton Mac before dispatching Choctaw by a 2-1 count.
Both teams return home Friday for key district contests with powerhouse Santa Fe South on Senior Night at Paul Laird Field.
Girls
After a scoreless deadlock through one half against Lawton Mac, the Lady Lions came through with an early flurry out of intermission as Karah Boydstun blasted through a shot off an Aubrey Tomlinson assist.
The Lady Highlanders answered with a goal in the final minutes of regulation to tie it up and force the extra 10-minute overtime period.
Nearly seven minutes into the extra session, Kamryn White worked free for a shot on goal that the Lawton Mac goalkeeper deflected away. Katelyn Mauck however retrieved the rebound and punched it past the keeper into the backside of the net for the walk off game winner.
Alex Martinez was sensational in goal, recording 13 saves.
Boydstun tallied five shots on goal, White pitched in seven and Mauck contributed a pair of shots along with Aubrey Tomlinson and Katelyn Ortiz. Hailey Ogilby and J.J. Patten both had one shot on goal.
Martinez tossed another gem with 17 saves against Choctaw but Durant just couldn’t ever penetrate the Yellowjacket net. Choctaw scored on a pair of corner kicks as Durant went scoreless despite a massive 24 shots on goal, 11 of which came from Boydstun.
White notched six shots, Patten had three with Tomlinson adding two as Lily Ruiz and Kylie Fox chipped in a shot each.
Boys
In the Lawton Mac victory, Durant raced to a 3-0 advantage in the first 20 minutes of the game and then held on from there after the Highlanders narrowed the gap to 3-2 at intermission.
The Lion defense pitched a shutout in the final session for the critical district win.
Braylen Lyday, Israel Soliz and Shajen Davis all recorded goals in the early uprising as Joseph Flores, Jaylon Saxon and Jack Burrage tossed in assists.
Hunter Wingfield recorded 11 saves to help preserve the win.
Lyday was the offensive catalyst against Choctaw with a pair of goals. The first came on a header off a Saxon throw-in with 2:31 remaining in the first half.
Breaking a 1-1 deadlock in the second half, Lyday connected on a penalty kick and Wingfield slammed the door from there, anchoring the defense with 12 saves.
“We are definitely playing better at the right time,” Wilmoth stated. “I am proud of the boys’ effort.”