The Pahrump Valley High School boys’ soccer team gave its home crowd another playoff win to celebrate Tuesday, Oct. 27, defeating Equipo Academy 3–1 in the regional semifinals to advance to the championship game.
Roberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, TC Hone and Randall Pangilinan each scored for the Trojans, who carried a one-goal lead into halftime before adding two more in the second half. At the other end, goalkeeper Jessie Barajas-Roman and the Pahrump defense kept Equipo off the scoreboard until the closing minutes.
Playing into a breeze during the first half, the Trojans worked to create opportunities from both sides of the field. Gonzalez-Gonzalez broke free on the right with about 34 minutes remaining and sent a low shot toward goal, but Equipo’s goalkeeper gathered it for the save.
Hone followed with an acrobatic attempt that went left of the goal, and Pangilinan also shot wide from the right side. Pahrump continued looking for an opening, including a sequence with about 19 minutes left that began with a through ball toward Lorenzo Montaño. Pangilinan ended up with the ball and fired from the right, striking the side netting.
Barajas-Roman helped keep the game scoreless through those early exchanges, catching a low Equipo shot with about 27 minutes remaining.
The breakthrough came with approximately 15 minutes left in the half. After Equipo took a free kick from deep along the sideline, the Trojans cleared the ball and moved it up the left side. Gonzalez-Gonzalez broke free and finished into the right corner of the net, putting Pahrump ahead 1–0.
The Trojans continued pressing after the goal. Pangilinan centered a ball, Hone dropped it back, and a subsequent shot from distance sailed over the net. Rafael Sanchez Veliz later tried a deep shot from the right that went left of the goal, while another Gonzalez-Gonzalez delivery from the left sideline was stopped by the defense.
Equipo had chances to respond, but Barajas-Roman collected another shot with about eight minutes remaining, and a later attempt hit the side netting. Pahrump also cleared the ball from in front of its goal as the half entered its final minutes.
With at least two minutes of added time announced, the Trojans earned a free kick after Hone was knocked down. They were unable to turn it into a scoring opportunity, and a later ball Hone sent across the front of the goal passed through without a teammate there to finish. Pahrump went into halftime leading 1–0.
The Trojans returned with more pressure early in the second half. Samuel Mendoza struck the crossbar with about 36 minutes remaining, and Pangilinan followed with another shot as Pahrump searched for a second goal.
That goal arrived roughly three minutes later. With Sanchez Veliz working the ball near the net, Hone connected on a header that rolled in to extend the Trojans’ lead to 2–0.
Pahrump kept generating opportunities. Montaño sent a ball into the middle that led to another Hone attempt, and Hone later headed a delivery from the right sideline that Equipo’s goalkeeper caught. Montaño also pushed close to goal before being stopped, while Sanchez Veliz nearly added another score on a header that struck the crossbar with about 24 minutes remaining.
Barajas-Roman remained involved as Equipo tried to cut into the lead. He caught a bouncing attempt early in the half and secured another ball at chest height with about 23 minutes left. Later, he deflected a free kick from the sideline and came off his line before being knocked down during the play. The Trojans then cleared an Equipo corner to protect their two-goal advantage.
With approximately 11 minutes remaining, Pangilinan gave Pahrump additional room. Following an initial shot, he finished the loose ball from the right side to make it 3–0.
Pangilinan continued testing the defense with another attempt shortly afterward, while Barajas-Roman caught a deep Equipo shot at his chest. Equipo was shown a yellow card after a hard foul on Gonzalez-Gonzalez with about eight minutes left; Pahrump’s ensuing free kick went over the goal.
Equipo broke through with about five minutes remaining, scoring high into the net following a throw-in near the goal to make it 3–1.
The Trojans continued creating chances as they worked through the final minutes. Pangilinan sent a deep shot toward goal that forced Equipo’s goalkeeper to jump and deflect it away. Rene Gonzalez Valdez delivered the resulting corner, which the keeper caught.
Barajas-Roman came out to collect the ball again with about two minutes remaining, and Pahrump finished out the 3–1 victory. Three different scorers, repeated attacking opportunities and timely stops at the back carried the Trojans through the semifinal and into the regional championship game.
The Trojans will face Virgin Valley in the League Championship game at Pahrump Valley High School on Saturday, Oct. 31, at noon.
