MIDDLETOWN >> Ulysis Valencia scored four goals for the second game in a row as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat the Middletown Mustangs 7-1 in North Central League I boys soccer action at Middletown High School.
The Cardinals (4-6-1 league, 5-6-1 overall) immediately dedicated the victory to former longtime Clear Lake girls soccer coach Paul Larrea, a retired counselor at the school who died on Thursday after suffering a heart attack earlier in the week.
“The boys wanted to dedicate the win to him,” Clear Lake coach Shaun Hornby said.
Clear Lake kept Middletown off the scoreboard until the second half when the Cardinals accidentally knocked the ball into their own net for an own goal. They led 4-0 at halftime.
Flavio Pizano scored twice for the Cardinals, who have won two games in as many days, and Pepe Rodriguez had the other Clear Lake goal.
Middletown (1-7-2, 2-10-2) played at a one-man disadvantage after losing a player to a red card late in the first half.
“We made the best with what we had,” Middletown coach Luis Chairez said.
Light rain fell during the game, just enough to make the ground slick and the ball slippery.
“It had an effect,” Chairez said.
Valencia also scored four goals in a 5-2 win over Willits on Tuesday.
“He’s just on fire,” Hornby said.
The win keeps the Cardinals within reach of a possible at-large playoff berth depending on how they fare next week as the regular-season wraps up. They host Fort Bragg on Monday and Kelseyville on Tuesday. Middletown hits the road Tuesday to take on St. Helena.
In other boys soccer action Thursday:
Lower Lake def. Fort Bragg
At Lower Lake, Alex Rivera’s corner kick 15 minutes into the game provided Lower Lake with the only goal it would need to beat the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in NCL I action.
Lower Lake (7-2-1, 8-3-1) received a stellar effort in the net from keeper Genaro Hernandez, according to Lower Lake coach Javier Michel.
“My goalie saved a bunch of shots,” Michel said. “He was great today, he was awesome.”
Lower Lake goes into the final week of the regular season with four league games remaining – the two that were originally schedule (at Willits on Tuesday and at Middletown on Thursday) and makeup games against Cloverdale and St. Helena.
Michel said he didn’t know when or even if the games against Cloverdale and St. Helena would take place. Both of those schools have suspended athletic activity until next week because of the recent wildfires on the North Coast.
