Mid-fielder Chantal Torres goes after the ball in a game against Galena Saturday afternoon in Reno.
Senator girls sustain first loss of season
RENO — What started out as a promising day ended in disappointment for Carson High’s boys soccer team.
The Senators, who entered the game on a three-game losing skid, blew a 2-0 lead and had to settle for a 3-3 tie on Saturday afternoon at Galena.
Carson is now 4-3-1 entering Wednesday’s home match against Bishop Manogue.
Coach Mike Alvarez’s team played without Guillermo Hernandez, who was serving a team suspension, and defender Carlos Alvarado, who was ill according to players on the team.
Alvarez said given the start Carson had, he was disappointed with picking up just a single point instead of three that comes with a win. He was, however, happy with the way his team played in the opening half and the fact it was able to come back from the 3-2 deficit and earn the tie.
“The first half we played like the Carson teams I know can play,” Alvarez said. “Despite not having two key players, we moved the ball very well.
“Fatigue is a factor for us. We were missing a couple of guys, and our bench is not as deep as I’d like. When you play a good team and make a mistake, they make you pay for it.”
Ryan Galvan gave Carson a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute with his 10th goal of the season. It was Carson’s first shot on goal of the game.
Over the next 10 minutes, Carson keeper Victor Guardado made a couple of nice saves to keep the lead intact.
Carson made it 2-0 in the 36th minute when Alejandro Gonzalez scored on a header off a corner kick by Octavio Virrueta.
“I saw it coming early, turned and headed it in,” Gonzalez said. Virrueta has been effective on corner kicks this season.
Galena’s Henry Zarate beat Guardado in the 49th minute to make it 2-1, and then Jorge Medina scored 16 minutes later to tie the match at 2. Leonardo Palacios made it 3-2 when he tucked a free kick into the left corner of the net in the 74th minute.
Gonzalez scored several minutes later when the Galena goalie failed to control a direct free kick, and Gonzalez popped it into the back of the net to tie it at 3.
“I just followed (the kick), got to the ball and scored,” Gonzalez said. “Fatigue was a factor in the second half. We didn’t play our game. We were playing kick ball, and that caught up to us.”
Girls lose first of the season
The Senators saw their record fall to 5-1-2 after dropping a 4-2 road game at Galena.
Carson returns to action Tuesday at 7 against Bishop Manogue.
Carson got two goals from Mayra Olivares in the first 11 minutes, but that was the extent of the offense.
Galena knotted the game at 2 in a span of three minutes on goals from Tatiana Hagan and Mackenzie Reynolds.
The Grizzlies took the lead for good when Carson was called for a foul in the penalty box, and Allison Piccinini converted the kick, sending it into the left corner.
Heather Huene completed the scoring with a goal in the 66th minute.
Carson had a couple of good shots and a couple of good attacks that didn’t result in shots over the final 40 minutes.
“We started off good,” coach Greg Lehman said. “We got a couple of goals early. We had some good possessions. Unfortunately we weren’t able to score a few more goals.
“We had some defensive breakdowns, and when that happened, Galena made us pay for it.”
Carson didn’t yield a goal in the first six matches, but has allowed five in the last two.
