By Don Ketchum

The only thing green about Reggie Van Devender is her neon shoes. She doesn’t look like a freshman, nor does she play soccer like one.

She scored the only goal of the game with 25:34 left in the first half to spark Chandler Seton Catholic to a 1-0 victory over visiting Cottonwood Mingus in a Division III state tournament quarterfinal match on Saturday (Feb. 4).

Seton was the fourth seed, Mingus No. 5. Seton advances to a semifinal match on Wednesday (Feb. 8) at Phoenix Arcadia against either top-seeded Tucson Palo Verde or No. 8 Phoenix Cortez.

Van Devender is a former club soccer player and now is concentrating on the sport at Seton after beginning the school year in volleyball.

Saturday’s goal was her 27^th of the season, to go along with 19 assists. She can also dribble around opponents with relative ease due to quick footwork.

“She’s phenomenal,’’ said Seton coach Bianca Jauregui.

Van Devender’s goal sequence began with a free kick.

“I wasn’t being marked (guarded), the ball bounced and I followed through. It went into the left bottom corner,’’ she said.

The reason she wears the neon green shoes is simple – so her parents can see her.

Jauregui said that Seton scouted Mingus in previous matches.

“Our game plan was to win the 50-50 balls (controlled by either team) and we would be good to go,’’ she said.

Seton controlled the first half, but the tide turned a bit in the second. Mingus had the ball a lot of the time, including the wild final seconds in front of the Seton goal.

A Mingus player headed the ball, which hit the crossbar. The ball bounced back into play and Mingus had a good chance to score into an open net. A Seton defender somehow managed to keep the ball from going in.

Van Devender was in the middle of the action.

“It was pretty intense,’’ she said.

Said Jauregui: “We’ve worked so hard this year at protecting the goal.’’