Reflections of the state soccer tournament

OK, so maybe soccer isn't so bad as I used to think.
In past years, I cringed at the thought of spending 90 minutes - or two hours or even 2 1/2 hours - watching two teams chase and kick a ball around. What a worse way to spend an afternoon, or worse, an evening?
This year, I took a chance and opened my mind - and heart - to the sport. Maybe I just picked the right year, or maybe, just maybe, I've been blinded by my distaste for soccer.
But it grew on me this year.
In fact, I think I just might like it!
If anything, I've come to respect - and even enjoy - soccer.
With that said, I must admit this year's state soccer tournament was quite riveting. You had quite a few upsets (Albuquerque St. Pius boys lost?? An eight seed - Albuquerque Eldorado in Class AAAAA - winning it all?).
And of course, the North could lay claim to one title - belonging to St. Michael's, which overcame the constant attacks of top seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep to win its second state title in three years.
Care to hear some more?

Best match of the tournament: It would be easy to say St. Michael's-Sandia Prep, but that would ignore two of the bigger surprises in the state. I am torn between Eldorado's shootout quarterfinal win over top seed Sandia, 4-3, and Piedra Vista's quarterfinal win over the Sartans.
Sorry, Lady Eagles, but the Panthers pulled off not only the upset of the tournament, but maybe in the history of state soccer. Consider:
- St. Pius was the seven-time defending state champion.
- It was the top seed in the tournament.
- Of its four losses, none came against AAAA teams and only two to state schools (California schools made up the other two)
- The last time the Sartans had not played in the state finals, half of Piedra Vista's roster had not been conceived yet.
So when Matt McKinney hit a streaking Devin Santillanes with a deep pass in the Sartans' zone and scored, the Panthers pulled off the impossible. Add the fact that St. Pius held a 2-0 lead after a half, and the Panthers needed a final minute goal to push the match into extra, and you have yourself a certified moment of a lifetime.
Oh, and the guarantee that the Sartans will win the AAAA crown in 2010.

Least likely goal: Yes, it has to be Griffin Cullen. While she had scored in a varsity match prior to 2009 season, Cullen had been shut out all season long. So when she wound up and connected on her 25-yard goal that went from right-to-left-to-pandemonium, she clinched this spot.
But it shouldn't be overlooked that Jamie Palermo saved her team's season with the free-kick goal in the 72nd minute when the moment - and the score - was on the Lady Sun Devils' side. It's incredible to see how quickly momentum can swing wildly from one side to the other, but that's what happened.

Biggest whiners: All the Albuquerque soccer coaches for complaining about the small fields at the APS Soccer Complex. Yes, athletic director Kenny Barreras might have made a mistake with the smallish dimensions of the field (107-by-63 yards) but speaking as an outsider, it made the soccer that much more exciting. The compact field leveled the playing field because teams had to work for their goals. Transition play became the crucial element because the ball could go from one side to the other in a split-second and the advantage belonged to the team that reacted more quickly.
And, hey, it was fun to watch! Sometimes bigger isn't better, and hopefully APS won't tinker with the fields. Now about those fence posts that suddenly are in play ... You might want to fix those.