Lady Mustangs edge Cougars 3-2 in North Central League I girls soccer action
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MIDDLETOWN >> Diana Montes picked up a loose ball near midfield and busted through Upper Lake’s defensive line to score what proved to be the game-winning goal Tuesday as the Middletown High School girls soccer team snapped a 2-2 and went on to beat the Upper Lake Cougars 3-2 in North Central League I action at Middletown.
Montes, a team captain, also scored in the first half to pull the Mustangs (4-4) into a 1-1 tie. The game was tied 2-2 at halftime.
“Montes had an incredible match, putting away two nice goals, distributing the ball through the midfield to her strikers and helping shut down the consistent Upper Lake flurry of attack sequences,” Middletown head coach Lee Hoage said of the junior. “She needed to step up and that she did.”
Coming off a tough 4-2 loss to Clear Lake on Thursday, the Mustangs fell behind 1-0 until Montes buried a shot in the right corner of the net to tie the game. After Upper Lake (3-3-2) pushed ahead 2-1, Middletown rallied again, this time with freshman Ally Cherry scoring to tie the game.
“She exploded from the top with a few minutes left in the first half, dribbled between the defense and cracked it past the keeper,” Hoage said of Cherry. “It was a good battle in the first half.”
The two teams remained locked in a 2-2 tie until Montes put the Mustangs ahead to stay midway through the second half.
“She was tracked close but was able to dribble at the keeper and put a hard shot away,” Hoage said of Montes’ second goal. “Upper Lake had many second-half chances, many shots that were either saved by Cherry (who moved to keeper in the second half) or by captain Sophie Yebra and other defensive players.”
Upper Lake scoring was not reported.
Middletown travels to Fort Bragg on Thursday while Upper Lake returns home to face Willits.