Two ejections, tough play in Dons’ 3-1 win
Two ejected in a physical 3-1 victory for the De Anza Men’s Soccer Team.
De Anza College forward Alfredo Tinoco (21) scans the field for a play in the Dons Sept. 29 match against the visiting Evergreen Valley College Hawks.
October 4, 2015
The De Anza men’s soccer team beat Evergreen Valley College in a physical 3-1 victory on Tuesday Sept. 29.
The first half had both teams exchanging chances. The Dons’ sturdy defenders cleared any chances Evergreen had.
“We all kind of push each other to play better and we work very well together on the backline,” said team captain Connor Kurze.
De Anza broke through before halftime with a goal from midfielder Josue Mendoza, who headed it home off a corner kick.
De Anza led at halftime 1-0.
When the second half began, Evergreen ramped up the pressure, but the Dons stood firm.
Kurze defends leaping forward in the Dons’ 3-1 victory over Evegreen Valley College.
“They (Evergreen) had a plan they were trying to execute, our guys were very aware of that plan and we kept them from being successful with it,” said Head coach Rusty Johnson.
At the 65 minute mark, Dons midfielder Roy Ortiz found the ball in the box and shot it on net, which deflected off the goalkeeper and trickled across the line for a goal.
After the second goal, the Dons defense continued their dominant defensive play until Evergreen broke through at 74 minutes, making it 2-1.
In the 85th minute, Roy Ortiz received a red card when he rushed to protect a teammate after an Evergreen midfielder committed a harsh tackle.
Alexander Ligeti, midfielder, scored on the ensuing free kick. “When it came time to score the goals. The guys stepped up and did a great job,” Johnson said.
In the final minutes of the game, a collision between Josue Mendoza and the Evergreen goalkeeper left Mendoza motionless on the turf for a couple of minutes, but eventually walked off the field under his own power.
Team captain Connor Kurze (19) clears the ball from an attacking Evergreen striker at De Anza College.
The Evergreen keeper received a red card and De Anza was awarded penalty shot, which midfielder Dan Galvan sailed over the crossbar.
The Dons held off an aggressive Evergreen attack and maintained the lead into the final seconds of stoppage time.
“I was never in fear of losing the game, which makes me very proud of the team,” Johnson said.
Connor Kurze added, “Everybody works very hard, and it was a fun game.”
The Dons will kick off their next home game against the Cañada College Colts on Friday Oct. 9, at 4 p.m.
