MIDDLETOWN >> The Middletown Mustangs are in the win column in North Central League I play after shutting out the St. Helena Saints 1-0 on Thursday in boys soccer action at Middletown High School.
“We’ve been working hard and things clicked and came together,” Middletown coach Luis Chairez said.
Middletown (1-4-1 league, 2-7-1 overall) scored just past the midway point of the first half. Following a corner kick that took a couple of bounces and was deflected by a St. Helena defender, Einar Monroy collected the rebound and blasted the ball into the back of the net.
It was up to the Middletown defense from there and the Mustangs didn’t disappoint. Defenders Colton Reed and Jacob Blair led the way and keeper Michael Giacomini’s save with five minutes left in the match preserved Middletown’s lead and the victory.
“It was the save of his life,” Chairez said of Giacomini’s fully extended dive to stop a St. Helena shot that had goal written all over it.
“Our defense did a really good job,” Chairez said.
As you might expect, the end of the game brought its share of smiles on the Middletown sideline as the team celebrated its initial league victory.
“They came together as a team today and they’re still working hard,” Chairez said. “That’s all I can ask as a coach.”
Middletown closes out the first half of league play on Tuesday in Lower Lake.
In other boys soccer action Thursday:
K’ville 4, Clear Lake 4 (tie)
At Kelseyville, Ulysis Valencia’s second goal of the game pulled the Clear Lake Cardinals in a 4-4 tie with the Kelseyville Knights in a rough-and-tumble NCL I game that wasn’t without controversy.
Clear Lake coach Shaun Hornby said Valencia’s game-tying goal came in the final seconds of injury/stoppage time. Kelseyville coach Eduardo Ledesma said the game should have been over minutes earlier but the officials allowed it to continue.
“I don’t know,” Ledesma said.
Kelseyville (1-3-2, 2-5-2) held a 3-1 lead at the half before Clear Lake (2-3-1, 3-3-1) battled back in the second half. The Knights lost a player to injury before Justin Perez scored his second goal of the game to put the Knights in front 4-3.
Kelseyville player Jesus Duarte took a knee to the midsection and had to be transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport. Ledesma said a simple foul was called on the play and no card — yellow or red — was issued.
“The refs let things get out of hand,” Ledesma said.
Trey Conrad also scored twice for the Knights. Brandon Mendez and Alexis Pizano scored for Clear Lake.
“We had a good talk at halftime. That got us pumped up and we went out and did a great job in the second half,” Hornby said.
Standouts for the Cardinals were Pizano in the midfield and Nicholas Holmes on defense, according to Hornby.
“And of course Ulysis,” Hornby said. “He was only 70 percent (because of an injury) but he played great.”
Lower Lake 1, Willits 1 (tie)
At Lower Lake, Gerardo Rodriguez scored in the first half, the only goal the Lower Lake Trojans could muster in a tie with the Willits Wolverines.
“My team was overconfident,” Lower Lake coach Javier Michel said of the tie against the Wolverines, who are not among the league’s top teams.
It remained a 1-0 game until Willits scored with about five minutes left to play.
Lower Lake is now 4-1-1 in league play.
