Girls soccer: Randall rallies for overtime victory against Del Valle

The countdown for the first trip to the Sweet 16 in El Paso Del Valle girls soccer history ticked under the eight-minute mark Tuesday morning at Grande Communications Stadium.

But the Class 4A regional quarterfinal playoff hurdle will follow the Conquistadores into next season as they relinquished a tying goal in the 73rd minute to Canyon Randall before falling 3-1 in overtime.

Randall's Andrea Carpenter scored the tiebreaking goal by putting in the rebound of her own shot with just more than five minutes left in the second overtime period. Holly Trevino provided the final margin for Randall by scoring on a long-range shot in the 99th minute.

Make no mistake, though - everything changed with 7:16 to play in regulation when Randall's Bailey Skeen erased Del Valle's one-goal lead by knocking home a cross from Alison Mooney into an open net.

"The girls gave it all they've got," Del Valle head coach Gibby Widner said. "(Randall) capitalized and got some momentum going into overtime. Our girls didn't but, but when (Randall) got on the board that was a big difference."

Michelle Enriquez scored in the 52nd minute to give Del Valle (21-5-1) the first lead of the game.

As the clock wound down, it appeared one goal would be enough, but the Raiders (18-3-1) tied the game and were in control for the final seven minutes of regulation and most of the 20-minute overtime.

It paid off with the two late goals as Randall advanced to the inaugural Region I-4A Tournament, though the same regional semifinal round it also reached last year. Aspen Johnson assisted on Carpenter's game-winning goal, while Mooney provided her second assist of the game on Trevino's goal.

Del Valle was eliminated in the regional quarterfinals for the third consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years overall.

"Give our girls credit," Widner said. "They gave everything they had and played a hard game."

Randall advanced to play at noon CDT Friday in the opening semifinal of the Region I-4A Tournament at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls against Stephenville. Randall never has been past the regional semifinals, losing in the round previously last season and also in 2003 and 2000.

The Raiders also rallied from a one-goal deficit in the sectional round to beat Abilene Wylie, so the experience was fresh on their minds.

"We work on being down (in practice)," Randall head coach Whitney McClain said. "I give them five minutes to come back and they've learned to do it. In high-pressure situations, they react well."