Boys’ Soccer Falls Short in Tight Game Against Oilers

DAVID TAN
Staff Writer

On Jan. 29, the varsity boys’ soccer team hosted a league competition against the Montebello Oilers. The Moors came into this match with a league record of 3-3 while the first place Montebello Oilers had a record of 5-0-1. After their 0-1 loss against the Oilers on Jan. 10, the Moors hoped to come back with a win in this game.

The team has been working hard in practice to prepare for this game. They worked on conditioning, decision making and communicating effectively during the game.

“We need to start strong, communicate and finish off our goals,” captain Jaime Espinoza said.

The Moors started off the game with energy and determination. From the blow of the whistle to the end of the game, they were able to match up with Montebello with their offense and defense. However, Montebello’s goal in the middle of the first half made the score 0-1. The rest of the half consisted of good defense by both teams, with neither team giving an edge.

The second half continued with strong defense, including two crucial saves by goalie Ricky Arroyo, which kept the score at 0-1. The Moors eventually broke past the Oiler defense and came up with chances to score. However, the Moors were unable to score due to missed shots that were either over the top or off to the side. Due to strong defense and missed opportunities, the game was decided by only one goal. At the end of the game, the score remained 0-1 with Montebello coming out on top.

The team felt that they defended fairly well against the Oilers, but the few mistakes that they made had cost them the game.

“I think we had more chances to score than the other team. We had more energy and we dominated, [but] we just missed a couple shots on goal,” Head Coach Netza Bravo said.

The Moors currently have a record of 4-5, and will continue to work on their defense and passing to prepare for their upcoming games.