MIDDLETOWN — A hat trick by Middletown”s Andy Garcia fueled the Mustangs to a 3-1 victory over Upper Lake on Tuesday in a non-league varsity boys” soccer game at Middletown.
The closing minutes of the match found the Mustangs (2-1) camped out on the Cougars” doorstep as they launched attack after attack on their opponent”s goal only to be turned back by a determined Cougars defense until the 73rd minute, when Garcia got a chance to redeem himself for a missed penalty kick earlier in the period. He closed to the front of the Upper Lake net and sent the ball into it to earn his third goal and give the Mustangs a 3-1 advantage.
“We weren”t at our best and it showed,” Middletown coach Jivan Dicovski said. “It should have been 5-0 at the half.”
Both teams turned in a lackluster performance during most of the first half. It remained scoreless until the 26th minute when the Mustangs picked up the pace and secured a corner opportunity, which set up Garcia”s first score of the day, a 15-yard shot straight into the Cougars” net and by the hands of keeper Oscar Nieves.
Middletown opened the second half by charging straight at the Upper Lake net, where the Mustangs were met by a wall of Cougar defenders. Garcia finally found an opening and fired off a crossing shot into the net in the 43rd minute of play for a 2-0 Middletown lead.
Upper Lake countered a scant four minutes later when a Mustang defender was called for a hand-ball in the box. That set up a penalty kick by Willy Martinez, which cut Middletown”s lead to 2-1.
The Cougars challenged the Mustangs multiple times throughout the match with solo and combination runs at the Middletown net, but they were unable to finish. “We”re starting a new stat,” Upper Lake coach Kyle Moore said. “Most goals missed from five yards out.”
Moore went on to add that while the Cougars are starting to shape up, they still have a ways to go.
Middletown plays St. Vincent in Petaluma on Thursday while the Cougars are home to Fort Bragg.
