GREEN RIVER — The opening day of the 4A West Regional Soccer Tournament brought cold weather, dramatic finishes, and bitter endings for Sweetwater County teams. The Green River Lady Wolves outlasted Natrona County in overtime while the Rock Springs Tiger boys rolled to a commanding win.
Green River Girls Survive High Scoring Battle, Advance to Semifinals
The Lady Wolves opened the tournament in thrilling fashion, edging Natrona County 5-4 in overtime to punch their ticket to the state tournament and a regional semifinal matchup with top-seeded Kelly Walsh.
Sophomore Brynlee Cordova opened the scoring in the first half, and junior Isa Vasco added a goal before halftime as Green River built a 2-1 lead heading into the break. Vasco wasn’t finished.
After the break, Vasco struck again to give the Lady Wolves a 3-1 lead. Natrona refused to fold, clawing back to tie the game 3-3 midway through the second half.
Vasco then completed her hat trick to give Green River a 4-3 advantage, only for Natrona to equalize again late and force overtime.
In the first 10-minute extra period, Vasco delivered once more — her fourth goal of the game sealed the win for Green River. The Lady Wolves’ defense held strong in the second extra period, preserving the 5-4 victory and securing a Friday semifinal game against Kelly Walsh at 10 a.m. at Wolves Stadium.
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Rock Springs Girls’ Season Ends in Windy Heartbreaker
Down Hitching Post Drive at Green River High School, the Rock Springs Lady Tigers fought through cold and blustery conditions against Riverton, but ultimately came up just short.
The two teams remained deadlocked 0-0 for nearly 70 minutes in a defensive battle. With just over 10 minutes remaining, Riverton capitalized on a corner kick, delivering a well-placed assist and finish to break the tie.
Rock Springs pushed hard for an equalizer, but the wind and time worked against them. The 1-0 loss ends the Lady Tigers’ season.
Green River Boys Fall in 1-0 Nail-Biter
Following the Lady Wolves’ dramatic win, the Green River boys took the field against Riverton, hoping to duplicate their success. A single goal scored with 12:24 left in the first half proved to be the difference.
The Wolves nearly found momentum in the second half, but a lightning delay just around five minutes in halted play for 30 minutes. After the restart, Green River showed composure and effort on both ends but couldn’t break through Riverton’s defense.
The 1-0 defeat eliminates Green River from postseason play and ends their season on home turf.
Rock Springs Boys Power Past Star Valley
The final game of the day offered a jolt of energy for Sweetwater County as the Rock Springs Tigers wasted no time asserting control over Star Valley.
Junior Mark Hamilton opened the scoring just four minutes in, and senior Alex Herrera followed with another goal one minute later. By the 15th minute, Hamilton notched his second goal of the match, giving the Tigers a commanding 3-0 lead, which they held through halftime.
Hamilton completed his hat trick with 32:29 remaining in the second half, and Rock Springs cruised to a 4-0 win. The Tigers advance to Friday’s semifinal, scheduled for 4 p.m. at Wolves Stadium against Kelly Walsh.
What’s Next
Friday brings semifinal action with state seeding and regional title aspirations still at stake for both the Green River girls and Rock Springs boys. The Green River girls face Kelly Walsh at 10 a.m. while the Rock Springs boys play at 4 p.m., both at Wolves Stadium.
