Bulldog Soccer Guys Roll Over Pirates 6-1

By LOU MARTIN

The Progress

The Virgin Valley High School Boys Soccer team used a strong second half to roll over the Moapa Valley High School Pirates, 6-1, on Monday, September 12 in the Dawg Pound.

Prior to the match Bulldog coach Junior Flores told his young charges, “We need to attack, put pressure, pressure on them and communicate with each other.”

The advice worked early as Jorge Villalobos struck goal 3 minutes into the match on a pass from Zack Trimming giving the Dawgs a 1-0 advantage.

Minutes later a Pirate player went down with an injury and needed help off the grid (more on this later).
The teams traded shots on goal for the next 15 minutes before Pirate Lucas Sandberg struck goal at the 26 minute mark tying the match at 1-1.

Bulldog Trimming made an offensive surge beginning at the 28 minute mark putting up two goal shots before scoring goal on a pass from Andrew Muniz taking the Dawgs lead to 2-1.
Trimming had two more attempts on goal late but all went wide. The first period ended shortly thereafter.
Despite trailing, the Pirates controlled the ball in the period.

The second half was delayed as the Pirate staff requested an ambulance for their injured player. The ambulance arrived and administered safety protocol and transferred the player to the hospital.
The Bulldog offense controlled the ball early for the first 10 minutes of the second period before Trimming hit Andrae Duran in the box for a goal shot upping the Dawgs lead to 3-1.

The Dawgs were hit minutes later with two yellow cards for aggressive play taking them to the sideline.
The Bulldogs continuing pressure set up two goals at the 67 and 68 minute mark by Josue De Santiago and teammate Alex Rivera giving the Dawgs an insurmountable 5-1 advantage.

The Dawgs’ Duran put an exclamation on the win breaking free late in the match for his second goal and making the final score, 6-1, for the Bulldogs.
“We played a really good game against Moapa,” Flores said. “This was our first game with everybody back from injuries and boy did they play their hearts out.”

Flores acknowledged that there were a few little things still to work on. “We’re only at game five and this is a long season,” he said. “Things can only get better from here.”

The win gives the Dawgs a 2-3 record in 3A Desert League play. The Bulldogs host Cheyenne High School on September 14.

On a side note, in regards to the injured player: the lack of a trainer provided by VVHS is a sour note to a good athletic season. There have been three or four injuries so far this season in soccer which is alarming.

A VVHS staff member stated that we should have a trainer available by October 1. Let’s hope that happens sooner than later to protect our young athletes.