Harrison soccer scores early, late at Widefield, continues hot streak
The march toward ever-loftier goals continued for Harrison boys’ soccer on Thursday night, even if it’s cadence was a little stutter-stepped.
The Panthers scored 51 seconds into their game at Widefield, then couldn’t find the back of net for the next 60-plus minutes despite largely dominating possession. Finally, they broke through for two more goals in a 3-0 victory at C.A. Foster Stadium.
“It always is tense,” Harrison coach Bridger Stapleton said of the action that saw his team clinging to a one-goal lead until 13 minutes remained in the second half. “I think we’re having a great year and we’re a strong presence in the league, and when you have the success we’ve had, a lot of guys are there to knock you off and it might make their year to upset a team like us. So just keeping your composure is really important.”
Sophomore Diego Reyes scored the first goal on an assist from fellow sophomore Jose Pineda just as action began on the night the Gladiators (5-7) honored their seniors.
“It came out of nowhere,” Reyes said of the initial goal.
Any thoughts of a blowout were put to rest by Widefield freshman goalkeeper Nathan Henson, who made several athletic saves to keep his team within one goal.
Finally, Pineda put in an insurance goal for the Panthers (10-1-2). Then, a few minutes later Reyes scored for the second time.
The victory gives Harrison at least 10 wins for the fourth consecutive season. If it can get past Palmer on Tuesday, the Colorado Springs Metro League title figures to come down to a matchup with Coronado on Oct. 23.
None of this is a surprise for Stapleton, who has seen his team embrace his principles of discipline, commitment and trust and follow the leadership of captains Manuel Cuellar, Freddy Flores and Edwin Moncado.
“They’ve really bought into that,” Stapleton said. “We’re getting to the point where we’ve kind of built up to this point. We do have high expectations and high hopes, and with a little luck we’re hoping to meet some big goals.”
Or, as Reyes put it for a team that hasn’t lost since Sept. 2 and has outscored opponents 49-12 this season, confidence is “super high.”
