East Union kept up the attack all night both offensively and defensively at Dino Cunial Field, where the Lancers beat visiting Sierra for a needed 3-1 win that puts the Lancers back in the Valley Oak League race.
“The work rate was really high,” Lancers coach Ronnie Green said. “Gabe Gutierrez was up top and played wing, his work rate was really high and he scored a goal. He also caused a lot of confusion for them by pressing the ball so hard.
“The center-mids controlled the game. Our defense and keeper Fernando Ambriz played a great game.”
Gutierrez was in on two goals for East Union (2-1-2 VOL, 5-3-6 overall), assisting Manuel Garcia midway through the first quarter for a 1-0 lead and 10 minutes into the second half Gutierrez took an assist from Alex Arroyo and gave the Lancers the lead for good at 2-1.
“My friend gave me a through ball and I was going to try and dribble it in,” Gutierrez said of his eventual assist. “We play negative, that’s just our style, and I passed it back and Manuel (Garcia) found the back of the net.”
Gutierrez’s goal arced into the top of the net.
“Alex gave me a ball over the top,” Gutierrez said. “I took a touch, the defender came at me so I crossed it and placed it into the center over the goalkeeper and I got it.”
Later in the second half, Cristian Perez added a penalty kick for the Lancers, capping a 15-shot night for East Union to just four for the Timberwolves (3-2, 6-4).
Leading the defensive charge for the Lancers was center defender Jonathan Bautista.
“Last year we had a good solid defense and I was able to learn from the seniors who graduated,” Bautista said. “I am trying to carry on that defense from the center back, understand the defense better because I know where my left backs and right backs are because that’s where I played last year.
“Our defense held up and we dominated, the communication was all there and the keeper (Fernando Ambriz) was talking to us.”
Sierra’s lone goal came in the 25th minute when Adib Guedoir took an assist from Tristan Gonzalez on a rebound off of a free kick to tie the score at 1-1.
“We did not play a good game at all,” Timberwolves coach Joe Pires said. “We just couldn’t put our combinations together. We gave too many balls away.
“We’ve lost one of our best players and he was the heart of the team, but that’s no excuse. You have to give credit to EU. They played well and they wanted it more than we did and credit them for being the better team today.”
Thursday at 5:45 p.m. the Lancers host Manteca and Sierra travels to Weston Ranch.

Junior varsity
East Union 5, Sierra 1
Corwin Snyder posted three assists and scored a goal for the Lancers who remained undefeated in league play.
Javier Sebastian (assist) scored two goals for East Union with Samir Azizpor and Trenton Lockwood each adding a goal.