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Boys soccer stays perfect in HDL |
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Tuesday, 15 January 2008 |
 Jiovanni Santana buries this header in the corner for one of his three goals against Kern Valley on Tuesday. Santana also recorded a hat trick against Mojave on Thursday. Photo by Keith Rainville By Keith Rainville
Sports Editor 1-12-2008 The Bishop boys soccer team stayed perfect in High Desert League play, beating Kern Valley at home on Tuesday and walloping Mojave on the road on Thursday. With the pair of wins, the Broncos improved to 6-0 in HDL play, cracking the Division 6 top 10 as well.
On Tuesday in Bishop, the Broncos didn’t waste any time establishing a big lead and then icing the game on a cold, wet night. In the opening five minutes of the game, Galen Busby and Hector Gonzalez did a good job of keeping the ball alive in the Kern Valley 18-yard box, fending off defenders and attempting shots. Finally, Gonzalez was able to get an open look and loft a shot high to the right corner for a 1-0 Bishop lead.
More goals followed in rapid succession. Chris Santana carried the ball down the right wing and sent a high cross to the far post which Jiovanni Santana leaped for and headed into the net, just inside the left post. At about the 15-minute mark, David Torres made some nice moves down the right side and slotted a pass to Chris in the middle of the field. Chris made a one-touch pass forward, leading Jiovanni perfectly. Jio chipped a shot over the Kern keeper who was sprinting out to challenge him for a 3-0 Bishop lead.
The Broncos did a nice job of moving the ball from the defensive end to the wings and then back into the middle for goal-scoring opportunities. The team had possession of the ball for most of the first half, and shut down Kern’s few breakaways. Hugo Villapando had a couple one-touch clearances, and Nathan Stidam ran down a couple attacking Broncs to help goalie Gardiel Santana preserve a shutout. The Bishop defense did a nice job of starting the offensive attack without getting caught dribbling too far forward. Tyler Thomas had several long crosses and passes, sending his teammates into open space to make plays.
With about 15 minutes left in the first half, Bishop went on another scoring barrage to put the game completely out of reach. Chris ran onto a loose ball outside the box and made a couple of nifty cuts to get a clean look at goal with the ball on his right foot. The shot was high into the right corner for a goal. Jio set up Bishop’s fifth goal by carrying the ball down the right sideline and beating a defender along the endline. Jio sent a perfect cross to Busby who was jumping at the back post for another header goal. Jio capped the Bishop scoring with a goal of his own (for a first-half hat trick), beating a trio of defenders and launching a low rocket to the right corner for a 6-0 lead.
In the second half, the Broncos worked on ball control and took it easy on their outmanned opponents. The score remained the same for a 6-0 final.
Then at Mojave on Thursday, a much warmer evening saw Bishop pounding another HDL foe by a score of 7-0. The Broncos scored four goals in the first half to snuff out any hopes Mojave may have had of pulling an upset. Jio scored two goals and Chris and Busby added one each for the lead.
The Broncos put the game away in the second half, adding three more goals from Jo, Gonzalez and Adrian Santana. For Jio, who is now recovered from an early-season groin pull, it was his second hat trick in as many games. Late in the game Stidam made a diving header to save a would-be Mojave goal to give Bishop back-to-back shutouts.
Bishop plays a pair of home games next week, hosting Desert at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and battling Desert Christian on Thursday, also at 5 p.m. Desert Christian gave Bishop a good game in the first match between the two squads, so fans should come on out and enjoy a good game as the Broncos look to put a choke-hold on the HDL championship. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 )
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