Braces from Lopez, Velez send Dodge City past Great Bend

GREAT BEND, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - The Dodge City Demons continue their undefeated record with a 7 to 0 road win over conference rivals the Great Bend Panthers.

The Demons entered the game with a 6 and 0 record and scoring 30 goals and conceding only one all season.

Dodge City’s Christopher Velez opened the scoring less than two minutes into the match.  He scored the goal with an assist from Alan Lopez.

Great Bend goalkeeper Edwin Chavez withstood two close-range shots.  Chavez made two more saves to keep the score at 1 to 0 Dodge City.

With under 17 minutes to go in the first half, Alan Lopez put his name on the score sheet with a goal.  Irwin Macias served up a great pass from behind the mid-field line that landed on Lopez’s foot.  Lopez dribbled the ball and then slotted it home.

At the 12 minute mark, freshman Aron Marinez scored the third goal for the Demons from near the top of the box.

The half ended with Dodge City leading 3 to 0 over Great Bend.

Great Bend took the ball at the start of the second half and came very close to scoring.  A shot from Jonathan Pasos made it past the goalie, Daniel Ruiz.  The ball ended up going wide of the goal.

Christopher Velez again opened the scoring for the half with a goal off a rebound.  Erik Martinez took a shot from near the top of the box only to have it bounce off the top bar.  Velez was there to clean up the rebound and put the ball away.

With under 11 minutes remaining in the match, Alan Lopez again scored a goal.  Lopez went on a strong run with the ball.  Great Bend’s Juan Sanchez tried to tackle the ball away, but he missed.  Lopez again beat Edwin Chavez to put the fifth goal of the match on the board.

Five minutes later, Daniel Rojas found the back of the net after a free-kick sent the ball rattling around the middle of the box.  Rojas settled the ball down and put the shot past the goalie.

Miquel Lopez Ortiz scored the final goal of the night.  The seventh goal of the match came with only 21 seconds remaining in the game.

“We fixed some things that we did not do right Tuesday night,” said Dodge City head coach Saul Hernandez.  "In the first half, we did not play as well as we could have, and we started to play the way we wanted them to play in the second half.

“I believe that defense does win championships.  We work on that a lot.  Great Bend did get some opportunities, but we have two great goalkeepers behind the defenders.  Our game plan looks at the big picture and minimizes the chances of the other team.”

Dodge City now has scored 37 goals in the season.  Their goals conceded remains at one.  They also keep their record perfect at 7 and 0 overall and 4 and 0 in the Western Athletic Conference.

Great Bend falls to a record of 3 and 5 with a 2 and 2 mark in the WAC.

The Demons will travel on Tuesday to face the Manhattan Indians.

Great Bend takes to the road also as they venture to Garden City to face the Buffs.

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