Auburn Mountainview soccer turns table on rival Auburn Riverside, closes in on top spot in 3A SPSL
Three weeks after Auburn Riverside scored two second-half goals to hand rival Auburn Mountainview its first shutout loss of the season, the Lions returned the favor with a 2-0 home boys soccer victory over the Ravens on Wednesday night.
Duvan Vaca-Trujillo and Gustavo Portillo scored for Mountainview, which tightened up the South Puget Sound League 3A standings. The Lions improved to 12-2 with a 10-2 mark in league play, a half-game ahead of the Ravens (11-2, 9-2).
While the first matchup between the crosstown rivals saw the Ravens’ defense hold strong and keep the ball on the Riverside end of the field, Mountainview’s offense held possession through the majority of Wednesday’s rematch.
“They’re a fantastic team,” Mountainview head coach Jason Shrader said. “We knew that we had a lot going in the last game and just didn’t get the job done. We had confidence that we could get the job done today, and they played fantastic, but our guys rose up to the occasion and succeeded tonight.”
Erik DeAnda had several near-miss opportunities in the first half for the Lions. In the sixth minute of play, DeAnda took a pass in front of the net and sent a close-range shot toward the net. Riverside goalkeeper Andy Starkel made the save, and he came through again with another four minutes later on a 1-on-1 shot by DeAnda.
Vaca-Trujillo broke the scoreless tie in the 50th minute, as he lined a 35-yard free kick inches below the crossbar into the upper-right corner of the net. The goal was the 46th of the year for the Lions, but only the fifth allowed this season by the Riverside defense. The Ravens nearly responded with a tying score almost immediately, but an open header from close range went over the net.
A pair of saves by Starkel midway through the second period maintained the one-goal margin. The closest call came on another shot by DeAnda, as Starkel dove to his left to deflect a 15-yard shot out of bounds.
Portillo added an insurance goal for Mountainview in the 74th minute, as a pass from Luke Stone on the left side found Portillo in front of the net for the 2-0 lead. Gage Carlson earned the shutout in goal for the Lions.
“Our focus is one game at a time,” Shrader said. “This is our one focus today, and it was a great focus on a great foe. Our goal was to get on top of them, and now our focus is on our next game Monday and overcoming adversity with injuries and any other challenges.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Auburn Mountainview soccer turns table on rival Auburn Riverside, closes in on top spot in 3A SPSL."