The Roswell Coyotes and Los Lunas Tigers traded punches for 80 minutes Tuesday night, settling for a 2-2 draw at Cielo Grande Sports Complex.
Roswell (3-1-1) fell behind early, but juniors Jacqueline Nevarez and Emily Macias provided the offense needed to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage in the second half. The Coyotes appeared to have the game won until Los Lunas freshman Mia Ordaz found the net late in the contest.
“I thought it was a really good game,” said Roswell head coach Urbano Sosa. “It was very competitive and I think we are both the same kind of team.”
Los Lunas strikes first
The Tigers (1-2-1) controlled much of the first half by pressuring Roswell on the offensive end and broke through when junior Addison Carter powered a shot into the net to put them ahead 1-0 with 24:34 remaining.
Los Lunas had more opportunities to score before halftime but the Roswell defense held firm, entering the break down a goal.
Coyotes answer after halftime
Roswell struggled to find its rhythm early in the second half but Nevarez changed the momentum, scoring to tie the game at 1-1 with 25:24 remaining. Macias then scored to put the Coyotes ahead 2-1 at the 12:41 mark.
However, Los Lunas refused to go quietly. Ordaz powered home the tying goal with 2:47 left, leaving Roswell with little time to answer. The final whistle came before either team could find a winning shot.
“I thought it was a really competitive game,” said Los Lunas head coach Jorge Tarango. “It was tight, so I tip my hat to the Roswell girls. They played tough.”
What’s next?
Roswell returns to action at noon Friday against Santa Fe at the Las Cruces Invitational at Las Cruces High School.
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.
