Eagles topple top 6A boys soccer team, 2-1

Hood River got down early against Lakeridge, which came to Henderson Stadium with an 8-0 record. The Pacers scored off a penalty kick after HRV was called for a handball. 

Three minutes before halftime, HRV co-captain Oscar Avalos calmly controlled possession of the ball in the middle of the field. He pushed a pass outside to Eric Cruz, who passed back to the center to Avalos. He sent a through ball down the center of the field.

Aran Garcia, angling from the right, tried to run onto the pass but was a few feet short of catching up to the ball. Lakeridge’s goalie came out on the play, tried to make a sliding save but the ball bounced off him. It was volleyed between a scrambling Garcia and two Pacer defenders before bouncing back about five yards. Felipe Mendez ran onto the ball and slid a low shot between the two defenders and into the left corner of the goal from about 30 yards away.

Less than a minute later, a Lakeridge foul near midfield gave HRV an indirect free kick. Oscar Moline placed the ball just beyond the midfield line and lofted the free kick toward the Pacer goal. The ball came down about 20 yards away - a shade toward the right side. Garcia had slipped behind a Lakeridge defender as both tried to determine where the ball would descend. Meantime, the Lakeridge keeper had come out from goal, as well. The keeper closed on the play too late, enabling Garcia to spin his body to the left while he was in the air and redirect the ball with his head. The ball arched over the oncoming keeper and one-bounced into the net for a 2-1 Eagle lead.

Lakeridge had nearly 20 shot attempts in the second half, about half of them on goal, but couldn’t produce the equalizer.