Skyline boys soccer falls, 3-1, to Tahoma

The Skyline Spartans kicked off their boys’ soccer season with a tough matchup against the Tahoma Bears on Tuesday, March 18, falling, 3-1, after a hard-fought battle.

While the Spartans scored first and early, holding the Bears scoreless in the first half, the second half belonged to Tahoma. The Bears reversed the momentum after the half-time break. They denied the Spartans any goals, while contributing three of their own for the 3-1 victory.

The first half began with the Bears controlling possession and testing Skyline’s defense, but the Spartans remained focused. Spartan senior defender Victor Rivera and goalkeeper Thomas Malloy worked in tandem to hold off Tahoma’s attacks, keeping the game scoreless in the  opening minutes.

As both teams settled in for the fight, momentum shifted instantly when Skyline forward Kostas Rivera subbed in. Almost immediately, he fired a shot that bounced off the goalpost and into the net, putting the Spartans up, 1-0, halfway through the period. Energized by their goal, the Spartans continued aggressive offensive play, firing several shots. However, the Bears’ keeper was too good and nothing more slipped into the net. As time ran out in the half, Skyline carried the lead, 1-0.

The second half brought another momentum shift, this time bending toward Tahoma. As the Bears maintained possession most of the half, midfielder Zeth Lucero began the Tahoma rally and broke through the Skyline defense early, finding the net to tie the game 1-1.

Tahoma continued to press, and it paid off when Giles Neel received the ball down field. Neel scored again for Tahoma to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

As the Spartans fought to make a comeback with less than ten minutes remaining, Tahoma sealed the deal. Lucero found pay dirt for the second time in the second half, extending the Bears’ lead, 3-1.

Skyline battled until the final whistle, but Tahoma’s dominant second half proved too much to overcome. Despite the loss, Kostas Rivera remained optimistic about the team’s future.

“Even though we lost tonight, it was our first game of the season, and we still have a lot of work to do, so we’re excited to see what the rest of the season has to hold,” he said.

The Skyline Spartans played the Newport Knights on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at Skyline High School.