Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

South Mtn. boys stun Carl Hayden with three-goal burst in OT

January 23, 2013 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


 

It happened so fast that the boys’ soccer team from Phoenix Carl Hayden hardly even knew what happened.

Goal.

Goal.

Goal.

Within a span of 2:20 in the second 10-minute overtime, visiting Phoenix South Mountain delivered a three-goal flurry for a stunning defeat of the Falcons 5-2 on Wednesday (Jan. 23).

The two teams now await the conclusion of the regular season and will learn soon who their first-round opponents will be in their upcoming state tournaments.

 Carl Hayden was 11th in the Division I power seedings entering this week, while South Mountain was No. 3 in Division II.

“We were playing extremely hard. We were playing extremely well. We had the confidence that we were going to score,’’ said South Mountain third-year coach Carlos Aguilera.

Yabin Cruz scored twice in the overtime, giving him three for the match, and Anthony Adriano scored the other overtime goal, giving him two for the match.

That the match went to overtime was an achievement in itself for South Mountain.

With time winding down in regulation, Carl Hayden had a 2-1 lead and the momentum generated by a pair of second-half goals by Ramiro Vazquez.

But Cruz tied it at 2 with 6:41 left in regulation, and Carl Hayden could not answer.

Cruz nearly scored in the first 10-minute overtime half, but was turned away by Carl Hayden goalkeeper Roberto Ochoa.

Cruz scored with 3:41 left in the second overtime half, Adriano scored with 2 minutes left, and Cruz scored again at 1:21.

Aguilera has been very pleased with his team’s play this season, considering the Jaguars lost 10 players to graduation.

In the overtime, he said his players “were communicating, making good passes like we do in practice. We knew they (Carl Hayden) were wearing down. Their “mids’ (midfielders) were not doing some of the things like they had been earlier in the match.’’

The coach is trying to keep his players on an even keel.

“This was a big win for us, but we try not to let it get to our heads,’’ he said. “We a serious about what we do. Whether it’s a Division I team we are playing or even Division III, it doesn’t matter. We try to treat every team the same.’’

 

 

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