SPRING CREEK — Some mental lapses and defensive breakdowns were the ultimate reasons for the Elko boys soccer team’s loss in the first game of the Spring Creek Cup. The Indians — playing with an extremely-young roster — gave up four first-half goals to North Tahoe and fell by a final score of 4-1. Aside from a booming from distance by No.
10 — names not listed on the Lakers’ roster on MaxPreps — the bulk of North Tahoe’s offensive success was due to steals and/or Elko turnovers deep in the Indians’ territory in front of their own net. Trailing 4-0 at the half, Elko emerged a different squad after the break on both ends of the field. Junior Zuriel Mildren fired a shot that was deflected long and beyond the end line, and sophomore Teagan Perez’s ensuing corner kick flew over the crowd to the far side of the field.
With better possession and cleaner passes, the Indians began to find scoring opportunities — senior Braxton Medina flying a cross from the right side wide to the left of the opposite post. Junior Sorel Barajas was awarded a direct kick from outside the box on the right side — benefiting from a foul drawn by freshman Aiden Avila — but the attempt missed high and to the left. Avila then pushed a try into the outside of the net on the right after a diagonal pass from Barajas.
Perez launched a direct from distance on the left edge that bounced away from the goalie, but Elko was late on the follow-up attempt. On the other side, Elko freshman keepe.