BOYS' SOCCER: Avila scores twice in OT, Gators oust Eagles

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 6, 2016 1:45 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Alex Avila never stopped charging the net.

Midway through the first overtime, teammate Jose Reynaga ripped a right-footed shot that clanged off the crossbar. The ball bounced inside the goal line.

Goal or not?

"I didn't hear him (the ref) blow the whistle," Avila said.

As the ball bounced away from Rosewood keeper Tucker Chapin and toward the near post, Avila slid and managed to get a left boot on it. The ball rolled to the back of the net.

Spring Creek led 2-1.

Avila added an insurance goal in the 91st minute to cap the Gators' 3-1, opening-round triumph in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A boys' soccer playoffs Saturday afternoon.

"The first one, the ref didn't see it go in," Avila said. "I ran in and just pushed it in. The second goal, I just decided to shoot it and it went in. That's all you can say about it."

Seeded fifth in the east, Spring Creek (15-3-1 overall) extended its string of second-round postseason appearances to six. The Gators face either Louisburg or Creswell on Tuesday.

SC established the pace early and Rosewood (8-11) struggled to generate any movement out of its midfield. Avila and his teammates constantly won balls out of the air, and either connected passes down the line or switched the field to stretch the Eagles' defense.

The strategy produced a goal within seven minutes.

Gustavo Avalos, the area's second-leading scorer with 75 points, centered a beautiful pass to Hugo Zavala Gil into the 18-yard box. With a purple-jerseyed defender draped on top of him, Gil managed to score for the 1-nil advantage.

The Eagles slowly regained their shape behind senior sweeper Collin Carter, who constantly encouraged his teammates to "step forward" to pressure the Gators' defense.

Rosewood finally broke through in the 40th minute.

A long ball down the right sideline was crossed into the box and SC keeper Kevin Ulloa knocked it away with his left hand. Stalen Massengill gathered the deflection, fired a shot and stumbled over the out-stretched Ulloa.

Both players watched the ball roll into the net.

"I think we did a good job of fighting back and tieing it at 1-1," RHS head coach Eddie Maldonado said. "I thought we had better chances in the second half. Their goalie made two or three really good saves, and that kept them in the game."

Ulloa's two mind-boggling saves occurred within a 60-second stretch that kept the Eagles from notching a potential game-winning goal in the final eight minutes of regulation.

Hayden Maldonado's left-footed strike off a redirected ball -- in heavy traffic -- somehow bounced straight toward Ulloa. The sophomore keeper denied Massengill on a header off a corner kick.

The Gators took control in overtime and kept Chapin (15 saves) busy between the pipes. Rosewood didn't log a shot on goal during the two extra sessions.

"We gave them two chances and they stuck it in the back of the net," coach Maldonado said. "The boys fought real hard and you've got to be proud of them for that. (They) kept battling."