The schedule for the Tigers doesn’t get any easier this month. Such is life in the Evergreen Conference on a nightly basis. So picking up a road win over a league foe is what Noel Vazquez believes the doctor ordered.
Goalkeeper Alejandro Arevalo stopped two penalty kicks by Rochester in a shootout to aid Centralia to a 3-2 (4-3 PKs) triumph in Rochester on Friday night.
“I think it was an important win,” Vazquez, the Tigers coach said. “We have the talent to compete with the top dogs.”
Fernando Lopez, Angel Rojas, Sammy Carpio and Alan Cox all found the back of the net in the shootout. Arevalo made one save during that run of makes, then after Simba Osman missed, Arevalo came through in the clutch.
It was a back-and-forth match all night as Centralia (2-1, 1-1 EvCo) struck first on a PK from Carpio in the opening half. After the Warriors tied it, Lopez found the back of the net to take the lead back.
Rochester (2-2, 1-1) was given a penalty kick in the 80th minute and buried it to send the contest into overtime.
“They really do a great job of preparing,” Vazquez said of Rochester.
Arevalo finished the night with six saves for Centralia.
