Soccer teams earn 4 victories

Four of the Mountain Home Youth Soccer Association competitive league's teams posted wins with two others struggling as they faced teams from across the Treasure Valley last week.

The following are highlights of this weekend's games, by age group.

Middleton 2, Tigers 1

Despite outshooting Middleton 18-6 on the field, the under-12 Tigers struggled to get the ball into the net during their 1-2 loss on Saturday.

Tony Pedroza posted the Tigers' sole goal.

"The Tigers played a very good game and controlled the ball the majority of the time," said Coach Jody Wolfley. "It was a very disappointing loss after playing as well as we did."

United 9, Canyon Crossfire 0

The United squad dominated the field by keeping the ball in the crossfire side of the pitch while maintaining constant pressure on defense as they outgunned the Canyon Crossfire in a 9-0 shutout.

Jacey Carr, Andrea Garcia, Brittany Brown and Elizabeth Ryan took the field to complement the under-14 boys squad.

Brown and Ernesto Salinas maintained constant pressure on the Crossfire keeper while Adam Reichart led the team's midfield and defensive line as Garcia ensured the ball rarely crossed the centerline.

Brown and Salinas finished the game with three goals apiece while Ryan, Parker Ford and Kaden Spencer each added one. Meanwhile, Ford, Ryan and Anthony DeSantis made key assists for the Mountain Home team.

Canyon Crossfire 5, Strikers 1

Down by four going into the second half, the Mountain Home Strikers reinforced their defensive posture but were unable to recover as they fell to the Canyon Crossfire in their season debut.

Nina Courterier hit the back of the net on a 16-yard shot to score the sole goal for the under-11 team. Meanwhile, center defender McKenzie Sloan stopped numerous attacks.

"Although we lost, I was pleased with the way the girls played," said Coach Curtis Viall. "This is a new team we have just put together. They played harder after getting down by four goals, and the result was we played them even harder during the second half."

Pride 3, Middleton Blue 0

Following some halftime adjustments and strategy changes, the Mountain Home Pride started to stretch their play out to the edges to create goal opportunities as the under-12 girls shut out the Middleton Blue, 3-0.

"The first half was a hard battle back and forth," said Coach Kent Ogaard. "Both Middleton Blue and the Mountain Home Pride played well, but play was mainly focused in the middle of the field."

Gisselle Raddatz led the Pride with two goals while Hailey Andrews added the team's third score. Meanwhile, Leayssa Murray turned in a clean sheet on defense during the team's first win of the season.

"The girls are really starting to click together as a team, learning that it takes the entire team to score the goals," Ogaard said. "I expect a lot more wins in our future."

Tigers 5, Emmett Savages 1

Elizabeth Ryan, Andrea Garcia and J.C. Carr created numerous opportunities for the Tigers' offense with 19 shots on goal as the Mountain Home girls outgunned the Emmett Savages.

"Player communication is improving, and although they are a young team, they are working better to be competitive," said Coach Humberto Garcia. "This game shows the talent and skill that each player has. All they need to do is apply them and talk to one another."

While the team still needs some work with positioning, "they are getting there and are willing to improve and get better," the coach added. "They are a great group of girls who have the love for soccer.

Brittney Brown led the Lady Tigers with three goals while Madison McCloud and Ana Pedroza each added a goal to extend the team's lead.

The coach also credited players like Madi McCloud, who did extremely well on crossing, he said. Meanwhile, Brittney Brown kept the Savages on defense deep inside their own turf while Ana Pedroza continued the attack at midfield.

Flash 5, Soccer Xpress 3

Aggressive play on the field, including a score just two minutes in the opening half, allowed the Mountain Home Flash to extend its winning record by overpowering Soccer Xpress.

"So far this season, this was the best we have looked in passing the ball and working to get players open for chances to score," said Coach Derek Sidberry. "This was a big game for us and will help us attempt to reach our goal of winning the division."

Melissa Jessup extended her season record by scoring two of the team's goals while Sky Gennette, Cassandra Villavicencio and Hannah Bideganeta each added one. Maria Villavicencio continued to shine at the goal after she stopped five shots, including two breakaways.