By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS — The Harlingen South Lady Hawks and Los Fresnos Lady Falcons started off District 32-6A soccer competition with a penalty-kick thriller Friday night at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.
The score was tied at 1 through 100 minutes of regulation and overtime play before the South girls rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 in PKs to prevail 6-5 in a 14-player shootout.
Officially, the match goes down as a 2-1 win for the Lady Hawks, who pick up two points in the 32-6A standings. The Lady Falcons come away with one point.
“Los Fresnos has a very good team,” South coach Omar Pedrzoza said. “Our girls had to play very hard to beat them. It was the kind of game we expected.”
Los Fresnos coach Diego Luna was equally impressed by both squads.
“It was exactly what we were expecting,” Luna said. “We knew South was going to come out and just be a tough team. Obviously, they have some talent up top (on offense), and we knew we had to be perfect to win this game.
“Unfortunately, early in the second half, we made a mistake and one of our players put in the ball in our own net (to give South a 1-0 lead),” Luna added. “But I liked the way our girls responded after that. They kept on fIghting and moving the ball.
“I feel like we dominated 90 percent of the game, but our finishing just wasn’t there today. South did an excellent job of just jamming the box with defenders, and we just couldn’t find a goal (to win).”
The “autogol” by Los Fresnos came during the 50th minute and gave South a 1-0 advantage.
Ten minutes later, during the 60th minute, Mindy Perez took a free kick on the right side from about 30 yards out for the Lady Falcons. The free kick was tapped into the left corner of the net out of the reach of the South goalkeeper by Alondra Lopez to even the score.
That was the way the tally stood until PKs.
With the score tied at 5 in PKs, Los Fresnos’ attempt by the 13th player in the shootout was blocked by South goalkeeper Joana Marquez. South’s Sarah Grace Flores-Garza came up next and converted her PK to win the match for the Lady Hawks 6-5.
Also making PKs for South were Caroline Grannum, Gabbi Martinez, Olivia Olivarez, Joana Marquez and Kim Torres.
Converting PKs for the Lady Falcons were Ashley Esparza, Yuliana Moreno, Mindy Perez, Hannah Wrinkle and Natalia Calvillo.
Sabrina Hinojosa made some standout plays as the Los Fresnos goalkeeper.
In the second game of Friday’s 32-6A doubleheader at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium, the Los Fresnos boys defeated the Hawks 1-0.