Jeff Edgington

For West Valley Preps

Winning a region title revived Deer Valley High girls soccer program for the first time in nearly a decade.

But their playoff elation, the first trip since the 2008-09 school year, was cut short via a last minute goal from Campo Verde's Lina Hurley Tuesday night.

The No. 9 seeded Skyhawks fell 2-1 at the No. 8 Coyotes, literally in the final moments.  With 75 seconds left Campo Verde's Alyssa Cave drove deep into the corner.

As solid as the Skyhawk defense has been over the span of John Brooker's first two seasons a lapse proved costly. Cave got a slim window of space and sent a cross from the endline into the box. It found the left foot of the sophomore midfielder (Hurley) who tapped it past senior goalie Hayden Wallace and sent the home crowd into hysteria.

"It's soccer in a nutshell. My girls fought tonight. It is what it is. I told my team their is nothing to hang their heads about. They fought for 80 minutes agaist a very good region champion," Brooker said.

Deer Valley withstood a relentless barrage of shots, near chances, and three first half corner-kicks in the games opening 15 minutes.

They lived up to their tenacious defense acclaim, Even with one starter out (Sydney Baldonado) and her sister Berkeley moved over a spot.

The Skyhawks took a mid-half lead with freshman Rajanah Reed converting a penalty-kick opportunity in the 20th minute. Reed was tripped in the box and calmly went to the opposite corner of the diving Campo Verde keeper on the spot kick.

Her 38th goal of the season was the first real threat against the freshman keeper Kayla Caballero in the contest.

"Raj has been doing that all year for us. To take the lead against anyone is vital specially on the road. We felt we could get one and defend like we are capable," Brooker said.

In the second-half Andrew Guarneri's Coyotes kept pressuring the Skyhawks back-line and it took a toll. In the 49th minute Kyla Galdos tied it on a ball that just bounced around off of anyone in the vicinity.

A scary head to head collision stopped play for a few moments. were attended to. Both players had ice after the contest.

One minute and nine seconds is all that stood in their path of forcing overtime. One last-moment cross to an unmarked Coyote changed that.

The defense held them in the contest as long as they could. Wallace had at least roughly 14 saves. The elder Baldonado sister felt proud.

"It's unfortunate but this program has come a long way. Without question I'll remember turning it around. Making the playoffs will be a reason to smile," she said.

Deer Valley has plenty to be proud of. The Skyhawks finished 14-4 overall, won a Desert West Region banned and sniffed the postseason for the first time in nine years.

Brooker said they'll return some young talent like sophomore midfielder Alexia Sanchez, Sydney Baldonado and a leading goal-scorer in Reed.

Deer Valley senior goalkeeper Hayden Wallace punches out a corner kick in the Skyhawks' 5A girls soccer first round game at Gilbert Campo Verde Tuesday. [Jerry Burch/For West Valley Preps][/caption]