Ten minutes and 16 seconds were left in a scoreless match between Ironwood and Sunnyslope.

No surprise there. This was the fifth meeting between the region mates/rivals in the past two seasons, and their defenses knew what to expect.

What this game needed was an unlikely hero to break the gridlock created by each defense. In stepped Ironwood’s Habeney (rhymes with homily) Weldegiorgi.

He didn’t wear a red cape, but Weldegiorgi definitely got some air time during and after the match after his teammates raised him in the air. The senior, the first sub off the bench for Ironwood, picked the perfect time to score his first high school career goals, allowing his team to win 2-0 in regulation.

The stakes were high, as Sunnyslope travelled to play in a first round 5A Conference boys soccer playoff game.

“(Habeney) was a starter at the beginning of the year, but he never stopped working after he went to the bench,” Ironwood coach Tim Beck said. “That (the two goals) was the culmination of hard work.”

Stephan Johannes’ high work rate also paid off in the match.

The junior broke free on the left wing to send a cross, and Weldegiorgi one-timed it in for the first goal.

"The was a perfect ball that was begging to be finished," Beck said. 

With about four minutes left, Weldegiorgi scored his second goal, whipping a header in after a long throw in by Nate Guzman.

“The second goal came as a surprise since I’m so short,” said the 5-feet-7 Weldegiorgi.

Sunnyslope’s (13-7) captains, Tucker Fenton and Bryan Lopez, were injured during the match but returned to the field, where they dribbled away from trouble at times.

The problem was that Ironwood hardly gave them any clean looks at goal. Fenton got away in the first half after receiving a long through pass but his touch was off on the attempt, the best shot at goal for Sunnyslope.  

Up next for No. 8 seed Ironwood (13-3-2) is a 2 p.m. Saturday quarterfinal game at No. 1 Queen Creek.