SPORTS News:Tuesday night saw the LAHS Boys Varsity Soccer back in action; this time against their longtime, bitter rival – St. Pius X.
Through the years, matches between the Toppers and the Sartans have produced passionate and competitive displays of soccer, and this occasion was no different.
The Toppers started the match looking sharp and determined against a talented St. Pius side. The Sartans certainly brought a degree of physicality to the game that Los Alamos had not yet had to deal with this season. It must be said Los Alamos answered in turn, holding their own, as defensive tackles flew in from both sides and aerial balls were hotly contested for before reaching the ground.
Los Alamos scored what was to be the game’s only goal around the 30 minute mark. Topper Junior, Tristan Semelsberger, picked the ball up around the 40 yard line in the Sartans’ half and proceeded to skillfully dart between two Sartan defenders, keeping the ball glued to his feet.
Semelsberger was clipped from behind around the 30 yardline, and the match official blew his whistle, signaling a direct free kick. LAHS Junior and free kick specialist, Andreas Runde, lined up the ball, as the St. Pius goalkeeper organized his defensive wall. Andreas struck his shot beautifully, curving the ball just over the Sartan wall and past the goalkeeper into the upper-right quadrant of the net.
The remainder of the the 1st half was a battle that continued into the 2nd half; right up until the point where the referee blew the full-time whistle. In the 2nd half, both St. Pius and Los Alamos were able to create goalscoring opportunities, but neither team found the back of the net.
However, the Topper team demonstrated a tireless work ethic and a collective determination to glean a 1-0 result against a very tough opponent.
LAHS Senior goalkeeper, Seth Hailey, kept a clean sheet for the match, and he came up with a brilliant save around the 60 minute mark, acrobatically diving right to deny a Sartan strike on goal. Also contributing to the Topper clean sheet were the stalwart defensive performances of Tristen Roach (Sr), Kye Jones (Jr), Cid Rice (Jr), and Kaoru Shimada (Jr).
The LAHS Boys Varsity Soccer next see action Thursday evening, facing off in an away match against the St. Michael’s Horsemen.
