The Pahrump Valley High School girls’ varsity soccer team paired a celebration of its seniors with a shutout victory on Wednesday, Oct. 14, defeating Equipo Academy 2–0 at home. First-half goals by Melissa Nunez-Ramirez and Avery Farruggia gave the Lady Trojans an early advantage, and Pahrump protected that lead through the final whistle.
Before kickoff, the Trojans honored senior manager Malynda Scheer and senior players Michell Villalobos, Sydney Crotty, Paola Aguilar Alarcon and Jazmyn Herrera alongside their families. The ceremony recognized the seniors’ contributions to the program before the team took the field for a successful evening.
Pahrump began creating scoring opportunities early. With 35:02 remaining in the first half, Nunez-Ramirez put a shot on goal that Equipo’s goalkeeper caught. Less than two minutes later, the Trojans connected for their first score. Aguilar Alarcon sent the ball to Nunez-Ramirez, who finished with 33:10 on the clock to give Pahrump a 1–0 lead.
The Trojans continued pressing forward. After Patience Moore drew a foul, Pahrump received a free kick, and Crotty later sent a header wide of the goal with 31:35 remaining. Another opportunity followed when Crotty delivered a free kick that Aguilar Alarcon got a foot on, but Equipo’s goalkeeper stopped the attempt.
Consecutive corner kicks kept the Trojans near Equipo’s goal before Farruggia added to the lead. With 27:05 remaining, she placed a shot into the upper corner of the net, putting Pahrump ahead 2–0.
Crotty continued contributing to the attack, sending a shot over the crossbar with 23:08 left in the half. Equipo received an opportunity following a Pahrump handball a little more than two minutes later, but its shot traveled well wide.
The Lady Trojans resumed their offensive pressure, playing a ball forward toward Aguilar Alarcon that the goalkeeper collected. Farruggia followed with a shot wide, and Crotty put another attempt on target with 13:36 remaining, forcing a catch.
Nunez-Ramirez kept Equipo’s goalkeeper busy throughout the closing minutes of the half. Her shot with 12:10 remaining was deflected, and she followed with additional attempts at 10:44, 8:16 and 3:54 that the keeper gathered. Although Pahrump did not add another goal, the repeated opportunities helped the Trojans carry their two-goal advantage into halftime.
Pahrump continued looking for openings after the break. An early free kick by Crotty did not produce a goal, and Aguilar Alarcon later put the ball into the net on a play that had already been ruled offside, leaving the score unchanged.
With approximately 21 minutes remaining, a Trojan corner kick reached Raylee Smith, who got a foot on the ball but could not convert. Crotty followed with a shot from distance as Pahrump worked to extend its lead.
Mary Miller helped challenge an Equipo throw-in near its goal with about 18 minutes remaining, stepping in front before the ball rolled out of bounds. Smith then tested the goalkeeper with a shot from the left wing at 16:15. Less than a minute later, she drove up the right side before Equipo knocked the ball out.
At the other end, Herrera moved forward to secure a ball with approximately 10 minutes remaining, helping preserve the shutout. Kimberly Villalobos Patiño also applied close pressure while marking an Equipo player during a throw-in opportunity late in the match.
The Trojans generated another chance in the closing minutes, moving a throw-in near the goal into a dangerous position before Equipo’s goalkeeper intercepted the ball.
Pahrump finished the evening with both its first-half lead and its shutout intact, giving the seniors a home victory to share with the families who had joined them on the field before kickoff.
