Kofa wins boys Great Southwestern Soccer Shootout in penalty kicks

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Kofa Kings defeated the San Luis Sidewinders 2-1 in penalty kicks to take home the Great Southwestern Soccer Shootout trophy.

After extended back-and-forth play to open the match, Kofa struck first. A quick dribble into space set up a well-placed shot that found the back of the net, giving the Kings an early 1-0 advantage.

San Luis struggled to generate consistent scoring chances, but the Sidewinders were able to capitalize when an opportunity finally presented itself. Awarded a penalty kick, Rodrigo Ortega converted to even the score at 1-1.

The deadlock held through regulation, sending the championship to penalty kicks to decide a winner. San Luis opened the shootout but missed the target, giving Kofa an early opening.

The King's first attempt was turned away, with the goalkeeper not getting fooled by the misdirection attempt and made the save to keep the shootout level.

On its next attempt, Kofa broke through, successfully converting to take the lead. The Sidewinders responded immediately when Rodrigo Cordova delivered a powerful strike into the top right corner, tying the penalty shootout and keeping San Luis alive.

Momentum, however, shifted back to the Kings on the following kick, as the goalkeeper guessed incorrectly and Kofa converted to claim a 2-1 edge.

Facing a must-score situation, San Luis' the low shot was saved, ending the shootout. Kofa emerged victorious in penalty kicks, securing a first-place finish and the championship trophy at the Great Southwestern Soccer Shootout. Head coach Jamie Nicewinder reflected on the hard-fought victory following the match.

"This is actually our sixth match in less than 48 hours, so I'm very proud of them for beating San Luis," he said. "San Luis is a top-notch quality program. They've got great coaching staff. They've got a great environment here. Obviously, you saw it today, so it's great for the young boys to beat a quality team like that."