Photo by Kim Petrdies
Orange 3, Walter Williams 2: The rain was enough to stop most outdoor sporting events on Monday. But it wasn’t enough to stop Yurim Tapia Mendez.
Orange’s striker had his first career hat trick to lead the Panthers past Walter Williams 3-2 at Springwood Park in Burlington. It was the Panthers second straight win over the Bulldogs and continued Orange’s best start in over a decade. They improved to 6-3, 1-1 in the Central Conference, beating a perennial power that won consecutive league titles in 2021 and 2022.
Mendez now has nine goals through the opening nine games of the season. He started the year by scoring the game-winning goal in Orange’s first-ever victory over Carrboro. In all, Mendez has three game-winning goals this season.
Mendez’s first came off a corner kick that was assisted by senior Joseph Lopez. His second goal was assisted by Brendan McDonald, which put Orange ahead 2-0 in the first half. Mendez completed the hat trick with a tally off a penalty kick.
Lucas Stroud scored in the first half for the Bulldogs, who fell to 6-4-1 overall, 1-1 in the Central Conference. With Orange leading 3-1, sophomore Aurelio Figueroa added a goal for the Bulldogs off an assist from Daniel Angel.
Orange sophomore goalkeeper Hector Garrido made four saves. Orange’s backline of Eben Petrides, Dallas Johnson, Logan Edwards and Jay Parker kept the Bulldogs from tallying a game-tying goal amidst a driving rain onto the turf field in Burlington.
Orange will face Cedar Ridge in the opening leg of the Hillsborough Derby on Thursday night at Panther Soccer Field.
Cedar Ridge 8, Person 0: Sophomore Niko James had his first career hat trick as the Red Wolves won its Central Conference opener in Roxboro last Wednesday.
James, who leads the Red Wolves with seven goals, notched the game-winner as Cedar Ridge improved to 2-3-2 overall. James also had the game-winning goal in the Red Wolves other win on the season against Eno River Academy on September 3.
Freshman Alex Rosales added two goals. He now has three on the season. In a testament to the Red Wolves youth after losing rising senior Dominic McNerney at the last minute, all of Cedar Ridge’s goals were scored by freshmen or sophomores.
Freshman Rodrigo Arellano added his second varsity goal for the Red Wolves. Sophomore Andy Tarija had a goal and an assist. Sawyer Smith, a sophomore, added his first varsity goal. Senior Edwin Huerta, who also wrestles for the Red Wolves, had two assists. Noah Koehler had an assist, as did senior Salomon Hernandez.
Goalkeeper Erik Galunas earned the clean sheet.
Western Alamance 2, Orange 0: Orange tested itself against the very best that the Central Conference had to offer last week and stood toe-to-toe with them. On a night of close calls, Orange couldn’t find one to go its way as they fell to the defending Central Conference champions in its league opener.
Following a scoreless first half, the Warriors earned a penalty kick on a borderline call on the edge of the Orange box with 19:47 remaining in regulation. Noah Barnett opted to go straightaway against Orange goalkeeper Hector Garrido, who made the save. Barnett led the Warrior charge on the rebound and chested the ball into an empty net.
Orange appeared to tie the game with 15:50 remaining when Tapia got the ball in on the goal line, but Warriors goalkeeper Eamon Hipps trapped the ball on the chalk of the goal line.
McNerney, the transfer from Cedar Ridge, added an insurance goal with 12:57 remaining on a gorgeous lead pass from Franky Maya. McNerney now leads Western Alamance with eleven goals.
Not to be outdone, Garrido made another save on a penalty kick in the final minutes of the second half. Garrido, who started Orange men’s basketball season-opener last year, is in his first year as the Panthers starting goalkeeper.