by Brian Turrel
Skylar Russell made dozens of saves ranging from ordinary to spectacular. She encouraged and pressured her teammates to do their best. In the end, the Turner goalkeeper’s heroics weren’t quite enough, but she turned a potential blowout into an compelling contest.
The Harmon Lady Hawks soccer team won the game 4 – 1 at Steineger Field, Turner’s home turf. Harmon senior midfielder Glorinay Borunda posted three goals, all in the second half.
The Lady Hawks were faster to the ball, and maintained better passing accuracy, stringing together longer possessions and keeping consistent pressure on the Turner defense. Borunda and fellow midfielder Fatima Rebollo were particularly effective at controlling the ball in the Turner end.
Harmon scored with 19 minutes remaining in the first half to take a 1 – 0 lead. Hawks freshman midfielder Micaela Guerrero cleaned up a blocked shot that trickled away from the Turner defense.
Harmon opened the second half with a barrage of shots on goal. Russell saved three within the first two minutes.
Borunda scored her first goal with 28 minutes left in the second half, putting the Hawks ahead by 2. She hammered a shot near the corner of the penalty area on the right side that skittered past Russell inside the left goalpost.
Turner scored its goal on a breakaway a few minutes later to make the score 2 – 1. Jazmine Pauly beat two Harmon defenders in the left corner and then played the ball nicely across the mouth of the goal to reserve midfielder Esmeralda Gutierrez, who chipped the ball into the top of the net.
Borunda scored her second goal on a penalty kick, earned when a Turner defender got a hand on the ball during a scramble in front of the goal. She placed the kick into the lower left corner, well out of Russell’s reach.
Borunda sealed the outcome with 14 minutes left in the game with another goal from distance on the right side.
Harmon will play next at home on Monday evening against Ottawa. Turner will play at home against Bonner Springs on May 8.
