Saturday, October 4, 2008

Eagles' last pre-district match is a double-overtime thriller

Tigers lose 1-0 decision to Eldorado

News-Bulletin reports

The Class 4A Belen boys soccer team won a wild, back-and-forth match at Class 1A/3A St. Michael's in double overtime to improve to 9-4 heading into district play.

The Eagles will play their district 6-4A opener on the road at Volcano Vista on Wenesday at 4:30 p.m. against a Hawks team that Belen coach Brian Weems described as young and talented.

Cameron D'Arcangeli had a hat trick before halftime, and he ended the match with his fourth goal in the 99th minute of a match that could last a maximum of 100.

"Cameron has helped me bring a new face to this team, which is great soccer and strong competitiveness and a will to win," Weems said.

The Eagles and Horsemen (8-4-1) combined for seven first-half goals, including three in the last three minutes of the half, and St. Michael's forced overtime with a goal in the second-to-last minute of regulation.

The match was so crazy, according to Weems, he said he had to take a Tylenol heading into overtime.

"It was an amazing, amazing game," Weems said after the match. "I'm exhausted. I was so happy and very proud of the kids. Cameron and Jaime (Hernandez) are a great one-two punch. I like how we're playing going into district."

D'Arcangeli got the scoring started with a goal in the sixth minute, with Hernandez picking up an assist on the play.

Two minutes later, Belen scored again, with D'Arcangeli and Hernandez reversing roles, as Hernandez got the goal and D'Arcangeli the assist.

The Horsemen rallied to tie the match at 2-2 with goals in the 17th and 32nd minutes from Jeff Attjar and Grant Duke, respectively, but D'Arcangeli scored a pair of unassisted goals in the 38th and 39th minutes to reestablish a two-goal lead.

St. Michael's got one of those scores back immediately with a goal in the 40th minute from Attjar, which cut the Eagles' lead to 4-3 at halftime.

After the avalanche of first-half goals, neither team scored in the second half until the Horsemen forced overtime in the 79th minute with Attjar's third goal of the match.

After a scoreless first overtime, the teams moved into the second and final overtime. In the seventh minute of the overtime, Belen goalkeeper Kevin Carrillo made a spectacular save to preserve the Eagles' chances.

"They made a great pass," Carrillo said. "I slid and the shot hit my upper chest and flew back out."

Two minutes later, D'Arcangeli ended it with his fourth goal, with Hernandez picking up the assist on the game-winner.

"We were on their side of the field, and Jaime had the ball on the left and put a perfect ball over the top of their center back, and I brought it down and the keeper came out, and I tapped it past him," D'Arcangeli said.

Eldorado 1, Los Lunas 0

In a defensive struggle, the Eldorado boys soccer team prevailed over Los Lunas on Chaz Hendrix's goal in the 53rd minute that stood up as the only goal of the match.

"It's kind of disappointing," Los Lunas coach Eliseo Aguirre said. "We had golden opportunities to score in both halves, but we just didn't cash it in. We played with them. We didn't back down. We just came up a little bit short."

Neither team had many scoring chances throughout the match, which was especially true in the scoreless first half.

In the 52nd minute, Eldorado (11-2 overall, 2-0 5-5A) began the sequence that led to only goal of the match. The Eagles' initial shot was headed right under the crossbar, but Los Lunas (10-5, 1-2) keeper Spenser Waquie tipped the ball just over the net at the last second.

Although Waquie had made a great save, Eldorado benefitted by getting a corner kick, their first of the match.

The Eagles didn't score on the corner kick, but the Tigers surrendered another corner kick as a result of the first and yet another as a result of the second.

Given a third corner kick, their fourth chance at the net in the sequence, Eldorado finally made Los Lunas pay, as Kevin Rossillion's kick hit Hendrix in the back of the head and went into the net.

"Part of our game plan was not to give them corner kicks because of our lack of height," Aguirre said. "We were actually very prepared for everything they threw at us. The only thing that got us was our lack of height, and I can't stretch them out."

The Eagles managed to stifle the Tigers until the end of the match, as Los Lunas was unable to force overtime

Los Lunas is idle until it hosts Highland on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Volcano Vista 4, Valencia 3

At Valencia on Tuesday, the visiting Hawks (3-10) stayed one step ahead of the Jaguars, both on the scoreboard and in making offensive runs.

Volcano, a second-year program with only freshman and sophomore classes, allowed the Jaguars (4-10) some scoring opportunities, but the Hawks created better chances for their offense.

The Hawks got on the board first when Bryton Moses scored the first of his three goals in the 19th minute. Robert Davis answered six minutes later for Valencia to tie the match 1-1.

Volcano took the lead for good in the 35th minute on Moses' second goal. Second-half scores by Ozkan Demircan and Moses put the visitors up 4-1 with 16 minutes to play before VHS, playing in its final district tune-up, rallied.

Jessey Moya stole a lazy Volcano pass and scored unassisted in the 64th minute, and Eduardo Ramirez put in a direct kick from about 20 yards out to cut the lead to 4-3.

However, Volcano's offense was always able to get into gear. Despite being ahead, the Hawks kept the ball in the Jaguars' end in the match's final minutes, hitting the goalposts with two late close-range shots.

"In the first half, we were kind of slow," said VHS coach Mauricio Enriquez. "We need to work on crisper passing, and we can't wait on the ball. Our defense needs to settle down and stop the runs at the 18 (yard line)."

The Jaguars host Del Norte on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the first-ever District 5-4A match for VHS.

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