GILLETTE — The Green River Wolves and Lady Wolves both fell in their opening matches of the Wyoming Class 4A State Soccer Tournament on Thursday, sending both teams into the consolation bracket heading into Friday.
The Lady Wolves battled into overtime before falling 6-4 to Laramie, while the Wolves dropped a defensive 1-0 match against Cheyenne Central after holding the Indians scoreless for nearly 60 minutes.
With the losses, both Green River teams now face elimination games Friday. A win would advance them to the consolation championship matches, while another loss would end their seasons.
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The Lady Wolves opened the day in a back-and-forth battle against Laramie.
Laramie, who came into the game tied for the most goals per game in 4A with 4.1, struck first to take a 1-0 lead before Isa Vasco answered in the sixth minute to tie the match at 1-1.
The tie was short-lived, as Laramie regained the lead less than a minute later to go back ahead 2-1.
Laramie added another goal with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, but Vasco again responded late in the half, scoring with 1:12 remaining before the break to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Green River found the equalizer in the second half when Vasco delivered a pass to Marely Magana, who scored to tie the match 3-3 with just over 20 minutes remaining in regulation.
Neither team scored the rest of regulation, sending the game into overtime. In Wyoming 4A postseason soccer, tied matches move into two 10-minute overtime periods before a shootout if still tied.
Laramie took control late in the first overtime period, scoring with just over two minutes remaining and again with 35 seconds left to build a 5-3 advantage.
The Plainsmen added another goal midway through the second overtime period to extend the lead to 6-3.
Vasco answered immediately on the kickoff, shooting and scoring from midfield for her third goal of the match to bring Green River back within two, but the Lady Wolves could not complete another comeback.
With the hat trick, Vasco increased her season total to 46 goals. Entering the state tournament, she led all of Class 4A in scoring, with the next closest player sitting at 24 goals.
In the boys match, Green River, once again in this postseason, leaned on its defense early.
The Wolves and Cheyenne Central remained scoreless through halftime as Green River continued the defensive form it showed during regionals, where it recorded a regulation shutout against Natrona County and later defeated Riverton 5-1 in the regional third-place match.
Cheyenne Central finally broke through with just over 20 minutes remaining in regulation, scoring the game’s lone goal to take a 1-0 lead.
Green River was unable to find an equalizer over the final minutes, ending the Wolves’ opening-round run at state.
Both Green River teams will return to action Friday in consolation play, needing wins to continue their seasons and advance to Saturday’s consolation championship matches.
The Lady Wolves face Cheyenne Central at 9 a.m. on Thunder Basin’s field. The boys play Campbell County at 11 a.m., right after the girls’ game on the same field.
