After dropping three of its first four matches to begin league play, all the Lowry High School boys soccer team is winning and getting three points to get back in the playoff race.
The Buckaroos hosted Fernley on Saturday afternoon, a squad that has its struggles in the past few years. The Vaqueros have improved this year and Lowry was not about to overlook them. The Buckaroos scored three goals in the first 36 minutes of the match en route to a 4-1 victory, to move to 2-3 in the Division I-A North and 3-6 overall.
"We came out and played well in the first half," said LHS coach Steve Swanson. "We knew Fernley is better and we were not going to take them lightly. Right now, it's all about getting wins any way we can."
Lowry opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Homero Esquivel kicked the ball that rebounded off the bar. The play started with a free quick just outside the box.
The Buckaroos extended the margin six minutes later off a corner kick by Esquivel. The senior placed the ball in the middle of the box and Roberto Sanchez went high for the header that found the net.
Lowry increased the advantage to 3-0 in the 36th minute on a penalty kick by Kevin Blanco. Fernley was whistled for a foul inside the box as Sanchez went in for a shot.
Each team went down a man 10 minutes into the second half, as two red cards were handed out. The Buckaroos lost Blanco as part of the two red cards and he will miss today's game against Spring Creek.
"We have to be smarter about that and we should have been up a man," Swanson said. "We retaliated and we don't do that. We have to control ourselves. It's tough that we lose him for Spring Creek."
Fernley was able to get on the board in the 65th minute, when a ball went off the shoulder of Brian Shettler. The ball had enough spin on it to confuse goalie Sergio Lopez and the ball went in the net.
The Buckaroos got a break 12 minutes later when a shot by Jesus Escobedo went off a Fernley player and in the net for a 4-1 lead.
"I am not sure what happened when we gave that goal up," said the coach. "It was one of those things where you get a bad break. It was nice to see us come back and the get that goal back."
Lowry hosts Spring Creek today at 5 p.m. and go on the road twice this weekend starting Friday at South Tahoe at 5 p.m. and Truckee Saturday at noon.
"It is a tough week for us and we will see where we are at," Swanson said. "They are three good teams and Truckee alw ays seems to be are boogeyman. We have to go out and see if we can get a couple wins."
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