BSC: Huskies rally from big deficit for 4-3 victory

PHIL HAWKINS - North Marion boys soccer teammates celebrate with senior Ismael Carrillo (center), who scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute against Gladstone on Thursday to cap a rally from a 3-1 defecit.

North Marion avoided going winless in its first three games, rallying from a 3-1 deficit behind a flurry of offense in the final minutes to hand the Gladstone Gladiators (0-1-1) a 4-3 loss at home on Thursday.

The Huskies entered the second half of the contest down 2-1 and gave up a goal three minutes into the half. But North Marion rallied the sure foot of senior Gerardo Maldonado, who scored two second-half goals to tie the game and give the Huskies the opportunity for the victory.

Maldonado first struck in the 58th minute, taking a pass from junior Leonel Claudio to cut the Huskies’ deficit in half. Maldonado struck again in the 76th minute off a corner kick to tie the game at 3-3, setting the scene for North Marion’s game-winning goal just minutes later.

Getting a one-on-one breakaway at the goal, senior Ismael Carrillo took a contested shot in the 79th minute near the top of the penalty box that was blocked by the diving foot of a Gladstone defender.

Carrillo gathered the rebound, dribbled toward the right corner of the net and blasted a second shot on the ground past another defender that tipped of the outstretched hands of the Gladiator keeper and into the bottom right corner of the net.

Gladstone had one final chance to tie the game at the end of regulation on a breakaway two-on-one counter attack, but the Gladiator’s shot past North Marion keeper Martin Herrera went just wide of the net and the Huskies were able to hold on for their first victory of the season.

The Huskies’ first goal of the game came on a pass from senior Jair Cano to Gabriel Pizzuti in the 17th minute to tie the game at 1-1.

North Marion (1-1-1) was scheduled to host 5A Central (2-2-0) on Tuesday to finish its non-conference slate of games.

The Huskies open their league schedule next week at Newport (2-0) on Sept. 20.

Picture and story by Phil Hawkins of the Woodburn Independent. STORY LINK

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