Miyamura’s offense surges behind Morales’ two-goal performance

Posted by Navajo Times | Oct 30, 2025 | Soccer |

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP

The Miyamura Lady Patriots turned in a commanding offensive showing Tuesday evening at Angelo DiPaolo Stadium, rolling to a 5–0 victory behind a pair of goals from junior forward Alexis Morales and a well-balanced attack that featured four different scorers — plus a flawless goalkeeping effort from sophomore Khloe Pinto.

Miyamura’s offense surges behind Morales’ two-goal performance

Special to the Times | Truman Begaye
Miyamura senior fullback Alivia Palacios kicks the ball toward the goal for a score during the first round of the 2025 Girls Soccer State Championship playoffs against the Highland Lady Hornets on Tuesday night at Angelo DiPaolo Memorial Stadium.

The win marked Miyamura’s first postseason girls’ soccer victory since 2011, when the Lady Patriots advanced to the semifinals. This year’s appearance is their second consecutive trip to the playoffs, signaling the program’s steady rise.

Morales led the charge with two goals, involved in nearly every scoring sequence as Miyamura controlled possession from start to finish. Senior Alivia Palacios and sophomore Avelina Gonzales each added a goal, while junior Adyson Spolar contributed a goal to round out the five-goal effort.

Miyamura recorded 12 total shots — five on goal — converting efficiently despite cold conditions. In goal, Pinto played all 80 minutes, recording five saves to secure the Lady Patriots’ 14th shutout victory of the season.

Head coach Russell Jamison praised his team’s focus and resiliency after the win.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a few days, but we believe in ourselves — knowing we can get the job done,” he said. “We really had a wake-up call with that loss to Bloomfield to end the season.”

Reflecting on the defensive unit, he added: “Defensively we have some work to do. We only allowed five goals through most of the year, but we need to get back to some basics and return to our ways.”

And when asked about the team’s two leading scorers, he smiled: “Adyson and Alexis are a one-two punch to have on the team. Adyson is leading the district, but Alexis is right behind her — and they’ve got a little competition going on about who will score.”

With the win, Miyamura advances to face third-seeded St. Pius X on Halloween at 4 p.m. at Ben Rios Field in Albuquerque.

Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.