KELSEYVILLE — It was a tough opening of the 2012 boys” soccer season for the Kelseyville Knights as they dropped a 4-2 decision to Anderson Valley in a non-league game Tuesday in Kelseyville.
Returning to the pitch down 2-1 after a dismal first half, the Knights (0-1) played a brilliant 15 minutes of football, holding the Panthers (1-0) in check while evening the score at 2-2 in the 48th minute of play when Anderson Valley was called for an infraction in the box, which resulted in a perfect penalty kick delivered by Omar Rodriguez.
But what followed was nothing short of a disaster for the Knights as far as Kelseyville coach Eduardo Ledesma was concerned as Kelseyville went from full speed ahead to dead slow, just as Anderson Valley was coming alive..
“We just ran out of gas,” Ledesma said. “Conditioning, we had to keep substituting but we couldn”t stay in the game.”
The Kelseyville defense, particularly junior back Max Lehman, who seemed to appear out of nowhere to save the day, put in overtime while beating back a refreshed and now organized Panther attack. The Knights were able to hold the line until the 69th minute when Omar Solano nailed his second goal of the match with a crossing shot into the net, putting Anderson Valley ahead to stay at 3-2.
Solano”s first score came in the 30th minute, another cross to the near post and past the outstretched arms of Kelseyville keeper Drew Ashby.
“We came out flat in those first 15 minutes (of the second half) and they (Knights) exploited that,” Anderson Valley coach Steve Sparks said. “We had our hands full until we got it going again.”
Anderson Valley scored a final time in the 78th minute of play as Carlos Espinoza let loose with a cross of his own to the far post that alluded Ashby”s diving save attempt by just inches.
The Panther”s reached the net first in the 24th minute of play on a penalty kick by Eric Martinez to go ahead 1-0. Kelseyville countered near the end of the first half with a picture-perfect lofting pass by Enrique Cacho to striker Elias Alvarez, who was waiting near the front of the Panther”s net for the tap-in, cutting Anderson Valley”s lead to 2-1 at the end of the first half.
Kelseyville hosts Upper Lake today at 4:30 p.m.
