HOOD RIVER — The Hood River Valley (HRV) Eagles have had one of the most challenging non-league schedules out of the 33 OSAA Class 5A boys soccer teams. All four of the Eagles games have been against Class 6A opponents who were in the 2024 state playoffs, including the Roosevelt High Roughriders (1-1), who HRV was scheduled to play Sept. 9 in Portland.
The Eagles (1-1-1), guided by third-year head Coach Alvaro Lara, recorded their first victory of the season, 1-0, over the Mountainside High Mavericks (0-2) in their Sept. 2 home opener at Hood River Valley High School.
“We have a young team (eight sophomores, seven juniors) that is just starting to find their shape and a good team chemistry, so that’s basically what we’re focusing on doing now,” said Lara. “It’s kind of exciting to start a new season with this team. We just need to get the ball rolling well during the preseason and so that’s going to be crucial for us as we prepare for the regular season games in the Northwest Oregon Conference.”
The Eagles shrugged off their season-opening Aug. 28, 7-0, loss to Lincoln with the win over visiting Mountainside. The match’s lone right-place-at-the-right-time score came off a Hood River throw-in three minutes before halftime. Miguel Lopez threw in the ball from left sideline. The 20-yard throw toward Hood River’s Sebastian Clarkson was covered by defender Sam Trepina about 10 yards out and to the left of the goal.
Trepina headed the ball away from Clarkson, but not out of danger, as it sailed toward the middle of the field. HRV senior Rohan Gutierrez was nonchalantly hanging out about 20 yards out, where he was marked by Alejandro Vivar Cilente. The Mountainside player turned to watch the throw in, and Gutierrez drifted away toward the middle, predicting where Lopez’s header would descend.
As the Mountainside defense was reacting, Gutierrez booted the header before it hit the ground with his right foot. The blast sailed inches over the outstretched right hand of the leaping Mountainside keeper and into the back of the net.
Mountainside had three shots that glanced off different parts of the goal and the Mustangs also missed two wide open shots from within 10 yards. HRV’s all-league keeper Emmanuel Galindo also made three spectacular saves that easily could have made it past less-skilled goalies.
The Eagles then faced the Sandy High Pioneers (0-0-1) on Sept. 4 at home and in an evenly played match-up, the game concluded in a scoreless tie. “It actually wasn’t a very intense game, and I think, if anything, both teams were kind of respecting each other a little bit too much,” said Lara. “It was kind of a mellow type of atmosphere during the game. It was an evenly played game with both teams creating scoring chances, but nobody was able to put the ball into the net.”
The Eagles will play another Class 6A 2024 state playoff participant in their next nonleague game Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at home against the Central Catholic High Rams (0-1).
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