With a pair of quick second-half goals, the Steamboat Springs High School boys soccer team took a lead over Vail Mountain on Thursday night. However, the Gore Rangers tied the game in the final second, and neither squad scored through overtime. The evening ending with a 2-2 tie.

Vail Mountain led 1-0 after controlling the game through the first half. Sailors goalkeeper Laiken Roth was busy, making athletic saves and keeping his team in the game despite facing heavy pressure.

In the second half, the Sailors took over but in an unexpected way.

Less than two minutes into the game, Sailors sophomore Gerardo Mendoza Gurrola booted the ball toward the goal about a third of the way into the Steamboat attacking end. The Vail Mountain goalkeeper watched it fly over his head, expecting it to go through the uprights above the goal. The ball dropped perfectly into the goal, and the keeper and his team were left stunned.

The Sailors celebrated. The game was tied at 1, and they had just been gifted momentum.

Not even five minutes later, Cam Daly drilled the ball past the advancing keeper and into the net for the go-ahead goal. Once again, the Gore Rangers were blown away.

Vail Mountain thought they tied the game on a free kick, but the goal was called back. Steamboat goalkeeper Laiken Roth saved the initial shot and dropped to the ground to contain the rebound. The ball bobbled in Roth’s grip, though, and a Gore Ranger put it in the net. The Sailors faithful were thrilled the goal didn’t stand.

Steamboat held the Gore Rangers off until the very last second — if only they could have held them off for one second longer. With 10 seconds to go, a through ball made it’s way toward Roth. He sprinted toward it. He deflected the ball rather than collecting it, and a Vail Mountain player kicked it into the goal just before the final buzzer.

Steamboat couldn’t believe it.

The teams fought through two 10-minute extra time periods, but no one scored. The game was called a tie, an unsatisfying ending to an entertaining game.

Steamboat Springs 2, Vail Mountain 2

SS 0 2 0 0 – 2

VM 1 1 0 0 – 2

First half

VM – penalty kick, 16:25

Second half

SS – No. 33 38:27

SS – No. 2 33:47

OT

No scoring.

2OT

No scoring.

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