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BOYS HOOPS: EU lassos Mustangs
Lancers move into 1st-place tie with Oakdale
Bulletin boys soccer 2019-20
East Union's Noe Martinez (12) and Oakdale's Nathan Neave (21) battle for the ball. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Noe Martinez assisted on the first two East Union goals Thursday, and Alberto Gomez arced in a third as the Lancers defeated visiting Oakdale 3-1 in boys Valley Oak League soccer action at Dino Cunial Field.
The two teams are now tied for first place in the VOL ahead of idle Weston Ranch, which has played one less league game.
“I saw gaps in the defense,” Martinez said. “This was just my second time playing striker and I saw the spaces and I took my chances.”
Seven minutes into the game Martinez spotted Cristian Perez on a breakaway and Perez got the ball past the goalie for a 1-0 lead for the Lancers (5-1-2 VOL, 8-3-6 overall).
Oakdale (5-1-2, 8-4-4) tied the game at 1-1 midway through the first half and that score held until the second half in the 44th minute when Alex Arroyo took a pass from Martinez on the wing and fired it across the net to make the score 2-1.
Ten minutes later Samuel Diaz spotted Gomez in the middle of the field and Gomez beat his guy and launched the ball into the top of the net over the goalkeeper for the insurance goal.
“I just took their player one v. one and I had the open look and I took it,” Gomez said.
While Gomez’s goal may have been the prettiest of the night, it was Arroyo’s that deflated the spirit of the Mustangs.
“We just made a couple of mistakes,” Oakdale coach Alfredo Quiroga said. “They took the wind out of our sales on their second goal which was a beautiful shot from mid-range.
“Their third goal was just the cherry on the pie. We got dejected after the second goal because we were pushing and we had them under the gun.”
This was the fifth win in a row for East Union.
“Our team has progressed a lot as the season has gone on,” Lancers coach Ronnie Green said. “We have a lot of talented players coming together and this is another game of three goals or more. I think we have 22 goals in the last five games. We are playing well together.
“I am very happy with the outcome. Oakdale was the No. 1 team and they have stumbled the last two games in a row, but the league is very competitive.”
East Union goalie Fernando Ambriz posted eight saves.
The Lancers travel across town to Sierra on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m.

Junior varsity
East Union 5, Oakdale 1

Corwin Snyder and Anthony Sy tallied a pair of goals apiece for the Lancers.
East Union’s Javier Sebastian added a goal and two assists with Armando Silva, Kole Kalin and Omar Lopez each chipping in an assist.