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North Tahoe soccer back on track

Seth Lightcap
Sierra Sun
Seth Lightcap/Sierra SunNorth Tahoe sophomore Salvador Avila dodges a defender and looks for an open teammate against Battle Mountain on Friday. The Lakers won 2-0.
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The North Tahoe boys soccer team rallied to a 2-0 victory over visiting Battle Mountain on Friday.

Putting one in the Longhorns’ net early in the first half, the Lakers held off the increasingly aggressive Battle Mountain offense while sealing the match with another goal in the last five minutes of the game.

“We’re starting to play a little better,” said North Tahoe head coach Beto Alcaraz. “We’re moving the ball around more. We’re not there yet, but we’re working on it.”



Taking the field, North Tahoe’s midfield kept the ball moving, earning the Lakers a few immediate opportunities. While Battle Mountain did not have the passing game, their strikers were dominating, muscling shots toward the Laker goal.

Sixteen minutes into the game, North Tahoe sophomore Salvador Avila was the first to see fruition for his efforts when he half-volleyed a bouncing pass into the goal from close range to put North Tahoe up 1-0.



Battle Mountain stepped up its intensity after being scored upon and took the game into halftime with a flurry of unsuccessful shots from near and far.

Switching sides for the second half, it was North Tahoe goalkeeper Sergio Arellano’s turn to deal with the blinding sunset right in his eyes.

Battle Mountain head coach turned his players on to this Laker handicap, instructing them to fire high, lofting shots whenever possible.

Midway through the half, only dumbluck saved the Lakers from falling to the sunlight plight, as a Battle Mountain midfielder fired a rocketing direct kick straight to the upper crossbar, ricocheting the ball down into the goal box but not across the goal line.

As the game wound down, Alcaraz jokingly chided the referee to blow the final whistle to finish the game as Battle Mountain’s hungry offense kept attacking. It felt as if a Battle Mountain equalizer was imminent. But a tie was not to be on this sunny Tahoe day.

With just a few minutes left in the game, North Tahoe senior Zach Tomlinson picked up a nice cross from Israel Ramirez just outside the goal box and banged it home, deflating the Longhorns’ spirits and clinching the 2-0 shutout.

The Lakers followed Friday’s win with 4-3 victory at Fernley on Saturday.

Sophomore Israel Ramirez recorded a hat trick with three goals, while senior Zach Tomlinson ” the only starter from last year’s Laker team, Alcaraz said ” contributed one goal.

The North Tahoe girls soccer team defeated Battle Mountain 9-1 on Friday.

The Lakers host Whittell on Tuesday. The girls start at 3 p.m. and the boys at 5 p.m.


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