Sometimes rivalries sprout up out of nowhere. The Lowry High School boys soccer team and South Tahoe are starting to develop one and there is no love lost between the two schools.
Last year, the Vikings had to forfeit a win over the Buckaroos for using ineligible players during a league contest. The bad blood continued into the postseason, where South Tahoe knocked Lowry out of the regional playoffs.
The first Northern 3A meeting of the season went off without a hitch, but Wednesday’s match provided four penalty kicks and a renewal in the rivalry despite numerous new players for both teams.
Lowry looked poised to knock off South Tahoe, leading 2-1 at halftime, but the Vikings scored three times in the second half to escape with a 4-2 victory.
“I felt we played well in the first half,” said LHS coach Steve Swanson. “It was just the opposite in the second half. They got an early goal and we let down. We have to be tougher and stronger. We need to be focused on what we need to do.”
South Tahoe jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute off a corner kick. The Vikings finished off the play with a shot in the corner of the net.
Lowry grabbed the advantage in a four-minute span in the first half on penalty kicks. Oscar Juanes tied the match at 1-1 on the first PK in the 31st minute and Juanes connected again three minutes later after South Tahoe was called for a hand ball inside the 18-yard box.
The Vikings had a goal called back in the early minutes of the second half on an offside call, but South Tahoe tied the match at 2-2 in the 50th minute on a penalty kick. Nine minutes later, Lowry was called for a handball inside the box, but Christian Collazo stopped the shot.
However, a minute later, South Tahoe scored the go-ahead goal when Collazo came out to play the ball and it got behind him for an open net for the South Tahoe shot.
The Vikings added an insurance goal in the 69th minute on a breakaway through the Lowry defense.
“This is a game that we should have won,” Swanson said. “We need to play the entire 80 minutes. We gave it away. We are close, but we haven’t turned that corner yet.”
Lowry falls to Truckee
Lowry traveled to Truckee on Friday, Sept. 20, and lost 5-1 to the Wolverines. Truckee scored three times in the first half to lead 3-0 and held on for the win from there.
Railroaders top Bucks
The road trip continued to Sparks on Saturday, Oct. 1, where the Buckaroos lost 6-0 to the Railroaders. Sparks scored three goals in each of the halves.
“That is the best team we have seen all year,” Swanson said. “They are the real deal.”
Lowry looks to get back on the winning track Saturday at Fallon. The Buckaroos play Churchill County at noon. Lowry comes back home to face Spring Creek on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
