Boys soccer: Elgin puts away Hampshire in second half
Threatened storms never arrived, but Elgin's offense sure did.
The Maroons created their own thunder, overcoming a halftime deficit with 4 second-half goals to beat Hampshire, 4-1, in nonconference boys soccer action in Hampshire Tuesday.
Alejandro Serna scored twice, Cesar Gomez had a goal and an assist, and Andy Zavala also scored as the Maroons won their third straight to open the season.
Jose Cruz got Hampshire off on the right foot with a goal in the game's third minute. He moved through the crease and fired a shot on the ground past a lunging Edgar Rodriguez to put the Whip-Purs ahead quickly.
It looked for awhile like Cruz's goal might just hold up. The rest of the half was scoreless. Neither team generated many chances until the closing minutes when Elgin began to go on the offensive. Gomez and Roberto Martinez had chances near the end of the half, but Hampshire keeper Andy Krajecki made the save each time.
After the break, the Maroons quickly found the back of the net. Zavala scored 5 minutes in, and Gomez followed with a free kick 4 minutes later.
Serna added 2 goals, and Rodriguez and the Elgin defense did the rest.
"We knew we were in good shape if we came out with a little intensity," said Elgin coach David Borg. "We really didn't get our energy until about seven minutes left in the (first) half. We didn't look like ourselves. We didn't look like we wanted to be here. But we put it together. After watching the last few minutes of the first half, I had confidence that we were going to be OK."
Hampshire tried to play a possession game after that, but the Maroons were just too quick.
"We knew going in that they were going to be good," said Hampshire coach John Gosling. "We knew they were going to be quick, so we started out a little bit defensive. It was good to get the first goal, and then we were just trying to maintain possession. Their quick pressure got to us."
The forecast called for thunderstorms around game time but, except for a brief shower in the first half, the rains never came. The game finished in bright sunshine.