By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Venture Academy rallies past Timberwolves
BSOC--Venture Academy-Sierra pic 1
Sierras Miguel Villasenor draws a bead on the ball against visiting Venture Academy on Monday. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL/The Bulletin

Venture Academy of Stockton got two goals in a two-minute time span early in the first half Monday, only for Sierra to answer with two in the next five minutes.

That would be all the scoring for the host Timberwolves, however, as they were held scoreless in the the rest of the way while Venture Academy raced away to a 4-2 non-league boys soccer victory at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.   

“We got two quick goals at the start of the first half,” Venture Academy coach Carlos Meza said. “That gave us a breather but they came back with a vengeance.”  

Jovann Gallegos got the Mustangs (3-0) in the board in the 11th minute followed two minutes later by Luiz Arevalo’s goal for a 2-0 Venture Academy lead.  

Sierra’s Miguel Villasenor served up two assists in the next five minutes — one to Tristan Gonzalez and the other to Christopher Cortez — to tie the game at 2-2. 

“It was a hard game,” Villasenor said. “I was trying to find the penalty mark on those passes so someone could come in and tap it in.”  

Venture Academy struck early in the second half when Edison Angeles drained a 30-yard direct kick in the 42nd minute and Kevin Montoya wrapped up the scoring 10 minutes later when his shot was deflected into the Timberwolves net by a Sierra defender.  

Timberwolves coach Joe Pires is trying to shake out the early season kinks.  

“We are trying to play a new style,” Pires said. “We have quite a few players playing in different positions and sometimes bad habits are hard to break. Instead of the guys being patient and keeping the shape, we have been working on they lose their shape and things break down.  

“Overall, it could have been better, but we lost too many possessions with easy passes that we couldn’t connect.” 

One of the bright sports for Sierra (1-1) was goalie Saul Aguiniga who had nine saves, including one on a penalty kick.  

“I kind of know he was going that way on the PK,” Aguiniga said. “I could tell by his body language so I dove that way and I blocked it.”