The Roswell girls’ soccer team dominated the Alamogordo Tigers 6-0 Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Cielo Grande Sports Complex.
Midfielder Aliyah Morales sparked the offensive outburst with two goals, while the Coyotes’ defense proved difficult to crack.
Roswell head coach Urbano Sosa said he is glad Morales has returned to the lineup for the past two games after she missed the 10-0 road win over crosstown rival Goddard (0-12) on Sept. 12.
“Aliyah played well,” Sosa said. “She got sick when we played in Las Cruces a couple weeks ago and didn’t play against Goddard. She’s played the last two games and she’s starting to feel a little better and we’re happy to have her back.”
The Coyotes (8-4-1) wasted little time putting pressure on Alamogordo (2-6-1). Midfielder Kyliegh Najar broke through five minutes into the match, putting Roswell ahead 1-0. Morales scored a minute later, doubling the advantage before the Tigers had a chance to settle in.
The Tigers steadied themselves defensively for a stretch, but the Coyotes eventually broke through again. Midfielder Elena Chavez found the back of the net with 21:57 remaining in the first half, stretching Roswell’s lead to 3-0.
Six minutes later, midfielder Julissa Baca added another goal, powering a shot down the middle of the field to give the Coyotes a four-goal cushion. Roswell carried that 4-0 advantage into halftime.
The Coyotes did not start the second half as strongly as they did in the first, but they remained in control. Morales scored her second goal of the evening with 25:34 remaining to push the lead to 5-0.
Forward Emily Macias, Roswell’s leading scorer this season, scored the final goal with 10:18 left. It was her 10th goal of the season.
The victory marked the Coyotes’ seventh shutout of the season and fourth in a row. Despite the lopsided score, Sosa said there is still work to be done.
“We have to get better at controlling the ball,” Sosa said. “Our defense has been good though and that’s the strongest part of our team.”
Roswell returns to the field against the Artesia Bulldogs (8-3-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Cielo Grande Sports Complex.
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
