Aurora – Some coincidences are more welcome than others.
That’s why Smoky Hill coach Danny Winsor had a hard time keeping a grin off his face after the Buffaloes’ 1-1, double-overtime tie Saturday with Regis.
The Class 5A Buffaloes tied Regis last season and went on to win a state championship.
“I smiled at that the same time, too,” said Winsor, the 5A coach of the year in 2004. “I was thinking about that. It ran in the back of my mind.”
Winsor and Regis coach Peter Scott agreed the stalemate at Legacy Stadium was deserved and was the counterbalance of two skilled teams.
The No. 4 Buffaloes (6-1-1) opened the scoring in the nonleague affair behind junior Tyler Waggoner, and the fifth-ranked Raiders (5-0-2) equalized behind Seth Tamminga.
Each team had moments of creativity in the midfield and defended well as three scoring opportunities were cleared off the line. But several opportunities were left wanting.
Regis created the most chances in the two overtimes.
With 15 seconds left in the first overtime, Tamminga dribbled right through the heart of the Buffaloes’ defense but shot just to the right of the goal from close range. Teammate Anthony Naes shot wide left on an identical run in the 70th minute.
“We’re more disappointed than happy because we could have easily put them away,” Tamminga said.
Tamminga scored his seventh goal of the season when he headed home a cross sent in from the left side by defender Gregory Rouse in the 16th minute. Rouse was given loads of time and space to find Tamminga after he collected the loose ball on the flank after a corner kick.
Smoky Hill got on the board in the fifth minute, when Naes’ turnover at midfield sparked a counterattack. Senior Charlie Bly laid a pass back for Waggoner, who smashed the ball through the legs of goalie Tyler Picard.
Scott blamed Regis’ tentative start on the sunshine.
“We are the worst team ever playing in the daytime,” Scott said. “We play so many night games and we just do not come out well.”
Smoky Hill All-Colorado goalie Miguel Rosales faced just two shots – one on Tamminga’s goal, the other by Ryan Tucker that was cleared off the line by defender Wes Post.
Regis 1 0 0 0 – 1
Smoky Hill 1 0 0 0 – 1
Goals – SH: Waggoner (Bly), 5th minute; R: Tamminga (Rouse), 16th. Shots on goal – Regis 2-0-0-0 – 2; Smoky Hill 3-1-1-0 – 5. Saves – Regis (Picard) 1-0-1-0 – 2; Smoky Hill (Rosales 89 minutes, Griffith 1) 0-0-0-0 – 0. Offsides – Regis 0-0-0-0 – 0; Smoky Hill 0-0-0-0 – 0. Corner kicks – Regis 1-5-1-0 – 7; Smoky Hill 3-3-0-0 – 6. Fouls – Regis 6-6-1-0 – 13; Smoky Hill 7-9-0-0 – 16. Yellow card – Stauter, R, 27th minute; Cephers, SH, 34th; Rosales, SH, 50th.
