It's not like the Carson boys soccer team had been mired in frustration.
But it just looked like that Carson took out its frustration on Reno in the second half of the biggest game of the season so far. The Senators scored four unanswered goals on the way to a 5-1 win over Reno to give the Huskies their first league loss.
Carson thrust itself back in the Sierra League 4A race with the win. Heading into today's action, South Tahoe was 6-1-1 while Douglas improved to 6-0-2 with a 9-0 win over Wooster.
Carson improved to 5-2-2 while Reno fell to 5-1-2. Douglas and Reno still have a makeup game, which has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. Monday at Reno.
"We had to win this one," said David Dwyer, who was one of four Carson players who scored. "We played how we wanted to play all year.
"We got more possession instead of the long ball. We got some confidence back."
Kirkwood Harris scored twice and A.J. Bergantz and Andrew James scored along with Dwyer for Carson.
"We decided to finish better," Carson Coach Bruce Bergantz said. "There were some really spirited games that we should have finished better.
"All five goals were absolutely quality soccer goals. There was nothing cheap or sloppy. We're not a team that's dependent on one player."
Dwyer just missed on a shot from the right side that bounced off the bottom of the crossbar to begin the second half. But moments later, Bergantz sent a perfect shot from just outside the goal box with his left foot to the upper left corner of the net to give Carson a 2-1 lead.
"That really turned the game around right there," Coach Bergantz said.
Bergantz followed with a header that Reno's goalie was just able to punch over the crossbar. Jesus Cid then sent a crossing pass to Dwyer, who placed the ball in the net for a 3-1 lead.
Christian Losche later drew a penalty from the Reno goalie in the goal box and Harris connected on the penalty kick. James sent a shot from just outside the goal box into the left corner of the net to finish the scoring.
In the first half, John Shorrock drove the ball in and centered it to Harris, who placed the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead. Reno scored on a breakaway before Carson goalie Sean Carter could come out to stop the threat to tie the game 1-1 at halftime.
Carter had a solid game, making an excellent save on a header and stopping two other breakaways with saves.
Coach Bergantz credited the play of the midfield, including Bergantz and Harris, with the win.
JUNIOR VARSITY
CARSON 2, RENO 0
The outstanding play of sweeper Jeff Rogers and goalie Robby Liebherr helped the Carson junior varsity boys soccer team (9-0) stay unbeaten on the season. Liebherr made several outstanding saves in the second half to preserve the shutout.
Joel Alcaraz assisted on both goals as Tim Kane and Luis Rizzo scored for Carson.
DOUGLAS 9, WOOSTER 0
Robby Honer had three goals and an assist and Derek DiMitri had two goals and four assists to lead the Douglas boys soccer team. Gieorag Andrews scored two goals and Chris Bargman and Cody Krueger each added a goal.
Goalies Nate Gardner and Blake Love went untested as neither had to make a save in combining to post the shutout.
DAYTON GIRLS WIN
Shannon Fleming scored two goals, with both of them coming on assists from Stephanie Nickerson as the Dayton girls soccer team beat Lovelock 3-0. Kim Wilson scored the other goal for Dayton and goalie Stephanie Mayberry posted the shutout.
