WOODROW — Trevor Burkhead has more confidence than anyone when an opponent takes a penalty kick. That depends on who Lubbock Cooper boys soccer coach has between the posts.
Taran Rodriguez is the Pirates' main man behind the net, and he gave Burkhead more reason to feel safe on Tuesday.
The senior goalie assessed the shot and put the ball in his mitt to stop Abilene High late in a 0-0 tie at First United Park. Rodriguez's heroic save overcame Cooper's solid defense, earning them a playoff spot against the second-place Eagles.
It's already nostalgic for Rodriguez, who made his third penalty save of the season.
“At the end of the day, what you really need is confidence,” Rodriguez said.
The Pirates (14-5-4 district, 5-3-3 district) also gained confidence. Abilene (14-4-4, 7-2-3) won the first District 4-5A matchup on Feb. 16, 3-0. Almost a month later, Cooper slowed down an Eagles offense that had scored a total of 16 goals in the past three games. That included his 3-3 tie with Monterey, the only game the Plainsmen did not win.
Abilene coach Roy Castillo gave a simple reason for why his team couldn't break through despite making 14 shots on Tuesday.
“Their goalie did a great job of stopping us tonight,” Castillo said. “…He made a good (penalty) save. Hats off to him.”
Abilene's Carter Batten went up to the penalty spot in the 77th minute after the referee called a handball on the Pirates' side. Rodriguez remained in the center and knocked down the shot with his right hand, making his eighth and final save of the game.
“(Rodriguez) is probably the most athletic player on our team,” Birkhead said. “He can make some saves that a lot of players don't make. The players know what he did tonight and what he's done all season, and with him behind him, he's confident. There is.”
Cooper didn't take a shot until the 35th minute, but it was his best look. Diego Hernandez's header hit the left post, and two minutes later Malachi Ramirez's long free kick was saved by Eagles keeper Joel McPherson.
Birkhead praised the Pirates for sticking to their game plan. Cooper made more strides in the second half, but still only made six shots overall. Scoring is the Pirates' Achilles' heel, and a win in their final district game Tuesday at Abilene-Wiley will earn them the No. 3 seed.
“We're in the right spot, we just need that last ball. We just need that last ball in. Our trajectory might be a little too heavy, maybe a little too soft, and we're going to take that,” Birkhead said. It just needs to be cleaned up a little bit.” There are a few, but I think the ideas and the movement are there. ”
Looking back: Monterey breaks through late against Lubbock Cooper
This article originally appeared in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Taran Rodriguez's penalty save keeps Lubbock Cooper, Abilene Hydro
