Dama lifts Rangers to Region 5 title

Ismael Dama bounced in front of the goal as Western Texas' Myles Taylor prepared to attempt a penalty kick knowing a block would give the Ranger College men's team the Region 5 soccer championship for only the second time in school history.

He made sure history was made.

Dama dove low to his left and recorded his third blocked kick in the penalty kick phase and handed the Rangers one of their biggest wins – a 3-2 double-overtime victory over Western Texas at Gateway Park in Fort Worth.

With the win, the Rangers earned the right to host the District playoff game. They will face either a team from Kansas or Oklahoma in the next round.

Western Texas, the regular-season conference champion, got off to a quick start. They scored twice in the first half and took a 2-1 lead into the second.

Nestor Salazar gave Ranger the goal it needed midway through the second. He deflected a kick into the WTC net off a sliding attempt in front of the goal. Salazar's goal came at the 15-minute mark.

It was also the last goal scored by either team in regulation. Neither team scored in either of the two overtime periods, sending the game into penalty kicks.

Dama gave RC the upper hand in the penalty kick phase right from the start. He successfully blocked the Westerners' first kick attempt – a line drive low and to the right.

Johnner Serrano and Kevin Dominguez gave RC the lead from there. Serrano punched in his kick low and to the right. Dominguez lined in a kick to the left of WTC goalie Florian Quast. Freshman Juan Jose stretched the Rangers' lead to 3-1 with a kick low and left.

After Western Texas had pulled to within 3-2, the Westerners found themselves needing a goal from Taylor on their final attempt to force an additional penalty kick frame.

Almost 3 hours after he started the game in temperatures in the mid-90s, Dama ended it with a diving save.