The Portales Lady Ram soccer team kept alive its hope to earn a berth in the New Mexico state soccer tournament and evened its district record to 3-3 Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 win against Santa Fe Prep.

After a scoreless first half, Portales junior Lizzie Armstrong converted on a penalty kick and sophomore Emily Griffith put her head on a corner kick to outscore the Santa Fe private school.

“We did well,” Lady Ram head coach Traci Sievers said. “Santa Fe Prep is a really physical team. We really stepped up and play well.”

The Lady Rams host the Goddard junior varsity Thursday, before ending their season at Roswell High on Saturday.

Sievers believes the Lady Rams (8-10) have a chance to make the 12-team Class 1A-3A state soccer tournament
The Rams, however, fell to Santa Fe Prep 8-0.

“(Santa Fe Prep) is a really good team,” Ram head soccer coach Jonathan Smith said. “They move the ball well.”

The Rams (4-12, 3-6) also have the Goddard and Roswell High junior varsity squads left on their schedule.

“The fact that the kids come to play, and they don’t shut down — that’s the thing that amazes me,” Smith said. “After the St. Mike’s game and the Ruidoso game — to be honest, I was a little nervous about what I was going to see today. They pushed it, and I don’t have any quitters on my team.

That’s all I can ask for.”