By Noah Miyamae
Assoc. Sports Editor
The boys’ varsity soccer team fell to the Burbank Bulldogs on the road by a score of 4-2 on Tuesday, December 1. The team had several positive aspects despite the loss.
The first half was very close as the two teams constantly battled for possession. Burbank was successful in its first attempt, scoring immediately after the start of the game. Nevertheless, the Tigers remained strong and defended well. Senior defender Tim Hitchcock had notable saves to foil Bulldog offensive runs. Burbank followed with many notable attempts, but many of them were called offsides. Throughout the match, the Bulldogs continued to be flagged for offsides and lost out on many offensive runs.
The Tigers became more offensively aggressive as the half progressed. A Tiger throw-in toward the Bulldog territory to senior Oskar Hernandez resulted in a pass to senior striker James Tulin who scored from fifteen yards to the left side post, tying the game at 1-1. Sophomore defender Hank Rainey aided in the Tiger defensive effort, forcing Bulldog offsides to keep the game at 1-1 going into the half.
The boys immediately took the ball to the Bulldog defense with the start of the second half. Tulin gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with a powerful shot from thirty yards out. The Tigers consistently kept the pressure on the Bulldog defense in the following plays. Saves by junior goalkeeper Kevin Foster and stops by junior defender Max Amido held the Bulldogs in difficult positions to score for much of the period. However, the Tigers suffered a major blow when Hitchcock had to come out due to a leg injury while trying to prevent a Bulldog run.
The Tigers soon lost momentum as the Bulldogs scored three straight goals to make the score 4-2. Foster was able to make brilliant stops, but Burbank scored twice on second chances. The boys could not overcome this deficit and the game ended with the Tigers losing 4-2.
“This was a tough loss, but we are still hopeful as the season is young.” Foster said, “We will improve greatly if we make smoother passes.”
The boys look to bounce back from this loss on Friday, December 4 at home, when they play the Sierra Vista Dons.
