YOUR AD HERE »

North Tahoe, Truckee boys’ soccer | Wolverines shut out Lakers in rival matchup

Sylas Wright
Sierra Sun
Sylas Wright/Sierra SunReed McMullen and Jonathan Ruiz converge on a 50-50 ball during Thursday's game. To view a photo gallery from the game, go to www.sierrasun.com/boyssoccer.
ALL |

TRUCKEE, Calif. and#8212; After a relatively uneventful first half, the host Wolverines scored two goals within a minute shortly after the break en route to a 4-0 win against rival North Tahoe on Thursday.

Fernando Rodriguez broke through with the final two goals for the Wolverines, while Colten Rodrigue put the Wolverines on the board with the only goal of the first half, and Nash McMullen initiated the scoring in the second half.

and#8220;We’re coming off a tough loss, so it was good to get back (to winning),and#8221; said Truckee coach Hernan Valdivia, making reference to Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at South Tahoe. and#8220;I thought we had good combinations up front in the second half. Mike (Brixey), even though he didn’t score any goals, he had two assists and he played really well. He put lot of pressure on their defense.and#8221;



Play went back and forth for much of the first half, with both teams failing to convert a number of scoring opportunities. Neither goalie touched the ball until the 12th minute, when Truckee’s Nacho Diaz scooped up a shot up Nico Monforte.

Rodrigue put an end to the scoreless stretch in the in the 19th minute, as the sophomore lofted an angled free kick from 30 yards that bounced off the outstretched hands of a leaping Freddy Rodriguez and into the Laker goal.



Truckee then stormed out after the half with the two quick scores, and some breathing room to relax down the stretch.

and#8220;We talked at the half about playing more simple,and#8221; Valdivia said. and#8220;We were forcing the ball down the middle in the first half. When we get wide in space is when we get all our chances. So we tried to refocus on that at halftime.and#8221;

Nine minutes into the second half, Easel Grass sent a corner kick into a crowd in front of the North Tahoe goal, where Nash McMullen headed it into the back of the net. On the attack just one minute later, Rodriguez followed the rebound of a shot by Brixey at point-blank range for a 3-0 Truckee lead.

and#8220;The second half we came out hard, started making more passes and taking more shots,and#8221; Rodriguez said. and#8220;and#8230; We’ve been working hard at practice trying to get it in the net.and#8221;

Not quite done, Rodriguez added his second goal in the 75th minute after collecting an unselfish cross from Brixey deep in Laker territory.

and#8220;It was a tough loss,and#8221; said North Tahoe coach Beto Alcaraz. and#8220;I think after the second goal we just and#8230; it took the wind out of us. But Truckee played well. I give them credit.and#8221;

Despite facing a three-point deficit most of the second half, senior captain and fullback Zach Rickenbach and the Lakers hustled to the final whistle, refusing to give in to their rivals on their home turf.

and#8220;North Tahoe never gives up,and#8221; Valdivia said. and#8220;It’s going to be a much more difficult game when we play them at their place, because it wasn’t easy for us.and#8221;

The Wolverines improved to 3-1 in Northern 3A Sierra League play and 5-3 overall with the win, while the Lakers fell to 0-2-1 in league and 0-5-3 overall.

and#8220;We have a good team,and#8221; said Rickenbach. and#8220;Our weakest part is scoring. But all I can ask for is that everyone plays 100 percent. Truckee is a good team. They made their shots when they had them.and#8221;

To view a photo gallery from the game, go to http://www.sierrasun.com/boyssoccer.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.