Runners end losing skid with OT triumph – Rio Rancho Observer

New Mexico’s Colton Oord (in black) plays defense while Runners goalkeeper Nate Yeager keeps an eye on the action Sunday afternoon in the Rio Rancho Events Center. The Runners won the game after a shootout. (Herron photo)

RIO RANCHO – The visiting Kansas Bandits, arriving at the Rio Rancho Events Center with only 11 players dressed for their soccer game with the New Mexico Runners, looked like they were going to be easily disarmed Sunday afternoon.

Nineteen seconds into the game, the Runners had a 1-0 lead. Less than four minutes into the contest, it was 3-0.

Austin Snyder, Froilan Ramirez and Jaime Hernandez, respectively, built that lead for the Runners, who ultimately won their first game of the 2023-24 season, 9-8 in overtime – the first time in franchise history the Runners played a game decided by penalty kicks.

Goalkeeper Nate Yeager sealed the win for New Mexico (1-4) by stopping the Bandits’ fifth penalty attempt in its tracks, and the Runners’ Josh Garcia made it 5 for 5 in his team’s kicks.

After that early 3-0 lead, the Bandits (2-5) were still down three at the end of the first period, 5-2, and then by two, 6-4, at intermission. It was still a two-goal lead for the Runners, 7-5, after three quarters, leading to the late rally by the Bandits and overtime.

But the short-handed Bandits continued to keep it close, after trailing by no more than three goals and catching the Runners at 7, and then 8, after Nicholas Cashmere scored the lead goal with 6:12 to play.

Unfortunately for the Runners, they had two players serving penalties, and while the Bandits also had one serving time, they pulled their ’keeper to have a fifth attacker, which paid off with 53 ticks left in the fourth quarter and a deadlock at 8.

A 10-minute sudden-death overtime settled nothing, thus the PK shootout.

Both teams traded penalty kicks for four rounds, with neither goalie being able to get a save. In the fifth cycle, Garcia would give the Runners the advantage. Yeager got the save on the ensuing kick.

The Runners are on the road Saturday at first-place Wichita (6-0).

The Runners’ next home game is Feb. 10 at 3:05 p.m. vs. El Paso, a team that New Mexico opened the season with on Dec. 30, a 13-8 Rhinos victory.