Strong second half propels Le Grand soccer into NorCal showdown with Hilmar.
Abel Velazco was an unlikely hero during Le Grand’s section title run last year. Called up from the junior varsity team for the playoffs, Velazco scored the game-winning goal in the semifinals late in the game.
As a junior this year, Velazco has been a key contributor on defense.
However, on Tuesday, the Bulldogs needed his offensive skills and moved Velazco up to forward in the second half and he delivered another stellar performance in the playoffs. Velazco scored two goals in the second half to help lead the No. 4 seeded Bulldogs (17-3-2) to a 4-2 win over No. 5 University Prep.
“We’ve had some injuries, so we moved Abel back on defense this year,” said Le Grand coach Jeff Slaughter, whose team will travel to No. 1 Hilmar on Thursday at 3 p.m. “We made the decision to move him up in the second half to awing. That helped open the game. He was the difference today.”
The game was tied 1-1 at the half thanks to an own goal by Le Grand’s Rigo Lua late in the first half that erased a 1-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
The Le Grand turned up the pressure in the second half and ran away from University Prep.
The Bulldogs put on an offensive showcase after halftime. After putting three shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half, Velazco finally broke through with a goal in the 53rd minute. Velazco beat Panthers goalie Dylan Miles to the ball at the edge of the penalty box on the left side and fired a shot in the right corner of the net for the lead.
“I think moving me to forward changed the game,” Velazco said. “I was moving up and down and we were passing more. We controlled the game.”
Sergio Zagal tacked on his second goal of the match in the 63rd minute when he flicked the ball over Miles into the net for a 3-1 lead.
Not to be outdone, Velazco found the net for his second goal of the game in the 66th minute to extend the lead to 4-1.
“Our passing was very decisive in the second half,” Slaughter said. “We moved really well. I’m not sure they’re used to that kind of speed or ball movement.”
Le Grand opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Miles came out of the box to beat Le Grand’s Hector Tejada to a pass, but his attempt to clear deflected off the chest of the Bulldogs’ Zagal. The Le Grand senior easily chased down the ball and deposited a shot in the net for a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers caught a break 10 minutes later when Lua kicked tried to clear, but mishit the ball into the net for an own goal to tie the game at 1-1.
