Prep soccer: Tigers start 1-0 by edging Pine View

Hurricane's Dayton Elison (2) and Pine View's Marco Seis (11), Hurricane vs. Pine View, Soccer, Hurricane, Utah, Mar. 23, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

HURRICANE – The Hurricane Tigers are off to a 1-0 start to the Region 9 season after knocking off Pine View 3-2 Thursday night at Tiger Stadium.

Hurricane took an early lead thanks to a goal from Tate Langston, but Pine View came out strong to start the second half and to put pressure on the Tigers.

Hurricane head coach Jeff Fry was happy with the effort the team gave.

“I’m really proud of our team today, because they played as a team finally,” he said. “There was no individual that took it upon themselves to make the game change. They played together and they helped each other and they gave it to one another, and that’s what really gave us the success tonight.”

Hurricane’s Tate Langston (3), Hurricane vs. Pine View, Soccer, Hurricane, Utah, Mar. 23, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Pine View head coach Ryan Duckworth said he was pleased with the way his team fought back after giving up an early goal.

“It was a tough match,” Duckworth said. “Hurricane is a good team. I have much respect for them. They’re coached well. They’re a tough team, well organized, and they play as a team. I’m extremely happy with the Panthers. There was some adversity they had to face on the field tonight. They battled back, and they stayed in it. That’s all we can ask for from our boys is that they continually play through the whistle.”

Langston scored the first goal off a pass from Max Gutierrez on the right post.

Pine View came out strong in the second half and Alex Rodriguez scored a goal as it bounced around at the top of the box to tie the game. Rodriguez just poked it past all the defenders and the keeper watched as it snuck inside the left post.

Hurricane’s Max Gutierrez (21) and Pine View’s Vladimir Joslin (8), Hurricane vs. Pine View, Soccer, Hurricane, Utah, Mar. 23, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

“We definitely let down for a little bit, and Pine View took their speed and really shoved it right back at us and made it back into a very close, intense game,” Fry said. “I’ve got to hand it to my boys for sticking in there.”

Pine View didn’t let up much the rest of the game, but Hurricane got two great counters in a row. The first one was from Gutierrrez. He found a ball at the top of the 18-yard box and put it away. The second one, two minutes later, led to a backside run and easy goal by Dan Brubaker.

“I thought we played very well as a team,” Brubaker said. “Our defense kept us in it a lot. Our goalie saved us. The forwards, we put our shots away for most of them. We played very well as a team, we covered for each other.”

Pine View then scored another goal on a breakaway by Marco Sies, keeping the pressure on Hurricane. The Panthers kept pushing for the equalizer, and had a couple good chances, but they couldn’t quite get it past the keeper. One shot went off the post, another went just over the crossbar and a third went just outside the post.

Next up for Hurricane, 3-2-0 and 1-0-0, is a home match against Desert Hills Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

“They are pretty good,” Fry said. “I really think if we keep moving the ball, and we get a little more healthy, and we play as a team, it’s not going to be an easy game for either team.”

For the Panthers, they will host Park City Saturday at 3:30 p.m., before picking up another region match at Snow Canyon Tuesday night.

“All the teams in the region are going to be pretty tough,” Duckworth said. “Don’t count us out, either. We’re a tough team. We’re going to battle back.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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