Spring Creek scores mercy-rule win over Kestrel Heights
By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on October 30, 2014 1:48 PM
aetzler@newsargus.com
SEVEN SPRINGS -- When Spring Creek's Gio Avila scored his first hat trick of his career against Hobbton in one of the final regular season games, he ripped off his shirt in celebration of something he'd never done before.
But on Wednesday when Avila scored his third goal in the first six minutes of the match, the shirt stayed on, a few high fives ensued, but the celebration was minimal.
"I guess I'm getting used to scoring," Avila said.
Everyone on Spring Creek was getting used to scoring on Wednesday. The Gators trounced Kestrel Heights 13-0 in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A state soccer playoffs. The game was called at halftime for the mercy rule.
Spring Creek entertains Lejeune at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
"We just did what we do," Avila said of the offensive performance. "We were passing the ball getting it off our feet to the open guy an going right at the goal."
Gators striker Otto Binar scored four goals and had two assists. Avila finished with three goals and one assist. Gustavo Avalos scored twice and Juan Vega chipped in two assists. Marcos Castaneda, Alonso Pineda and Luis Juarez rounded out the goal scorers.
Martin Reynaga, Hugo Zavala-Gil and Noeh Avila each had assists for the Gators in a performance that broke the single-game record for goals at Spring Creek.
When Pineda scored his first goal of his career, he couldn't resist the celebration to rip off his shirt. Like Avila, Pinea was benched. And head coach Linda Salter wasn't happy with him, or the rest of the team.
After the game, Salter spoke to her team about wishing they had seen a more competitive opponent, but also how disappointed she was in the way the team handled themselves. The Gators lacked discipline and that never showed more than when Pineda ripped off his shirt in celebration and received a yellow card.
In the playoffs, a player can only receive three yellow cards before having to miss a game. When a team like Spring Creek wants to make a run at a state title, they need all 11 players on the same page.
"We can't do things like that, even if it is his first goal and it's big for him," captain Marcos Castaneda said. "We have to make sure we're playing as a team and not as individuals."
Castaneda scored for the first time this season as well, though, after seeing the result of Pineda's celebration he thought better of the celebration.
"I saw what happened to (Pineda) and realized I probably shouldn't do that," Castaneda said.
Castaneda, the team's center back, led a defensive effort that didn't allow Kestrel Heights to get a shot on goal until the 38th minute.
"We played well, but we need to keep getting better and working hard if we're going to beat the James Kenans and the Wallace (Rose Hills)," Castaneda said.