Stallions open league with win

Courtesy of Christopher Cross

Madera South’s Hazel Iniguez watches her belly shot find its way through the Sunnyside defense for a gall in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory. Iniguez scored two goals in the win.

After heading into the half tied, the Madera South Stallions got a pair of goals from Hazel Iniguez and held off the Sunnsyide-Fresno Wildcats for a 3-2 win in the North Yosemite League opener for both teams.

“We are a little bit rusty,” head coach Ramon Delgadillo said. “With the rain, we didn’t have an opportunity to practice in the field. We started to play down to their level.”

Iniguez scored two goals in the first half of the second half to give the Stallions the cushion they needed. Sunnyside tightened the game with a goal in the 32nd minute.

“We started attacking down the side,” Delgadillo said. “We utilized both sides and that’s how we started pressuring. We discussed that at the half. We have to play both sides so they don’t know where we will be attacking.”

Iniguez scored in the first five minutes of the second half off a corner kick from Deliliah Jimenez. Iniguez went to the back post and hit the ball off her stomach and found the back of the net.

Iniguez added an insurance goal in the 20th minute. She got a pass on the right side, dribbled about 10 yards and shot into the net for a 3-1 lead.

However, the game opened with the Wildcats giving the Stallions an early body blow.

The Wildcats ran by two Madera South defenders and shot by oncoming keeper Felicity Munoz for the 1-0 lead.

Madera South came right back a minute later. Jimenez sent a high pass in front and freshman Alysa Gillen corralled it. She took one dribble and shot high on goal. The ball went off the keeper’s hand and into the back of the net to tie the match at one.

Four minutes later, Iniguez took the ball to the end line, but her cross for Kiana Ochoa just missed.

Madera South got a prime opportunity in the 15th minute when Katelyn Garnica got a through ball. She took the ball to goal and shot. The ball was blocked out by the Sunnyside keeper.

The Stallions had one last chance in the first half. Iniguez sent a ball across the goal in the 24th minute. Gillen touched the ball on goal, but it was blocked out of bounds.