The WCHS boys’ soccer team won its home opener, 3-2 against Bethlehem Thursday, Aug. 20. The game had the intensity of a regional final, with both teams making aggressive runs at the ball and a handful of yellow cards being handed out.
Angel Aguilar scored a hat trick to lead Woodford in the victory. Woodford recovered from an early deficit behind Aguilar’s three goals.
The Jackets didn’t treat themselves kindly, with mistakes costing them a deficit in the first half.
Bethlehem scored first after a tackle inside the box had brought the visitors to the penalty spot and the kick was scored to give Bethlehem an early lead of 1-0.
WCHS Assistant Coach Raul Sanchez said that the Jackets were still looking for some energy at the beginning of the game.
Sanchez said his starting squad was flat to begin the game. “We were still in first or second gear,” he added. “To be honest, it wasn’t until the second group came on the field that we finally got going.”
The second unit provided the opportunity Woodford needed to get even.
Eli Shelby fed the ball through the center of the Bethlehem defense, leading to a foul and an indirect free kick close to the goal that Aguilar capitalized on.
Bethlehem defenders had formed a wall between Aguilar and the goal, but he directed the ball around the wall and into the net, bringing the score to 1-1 and leveling the game for the Jackets.
Aguilar wasn’t finished.
Before the break of the first half, he scored once more to give Woodford its first lead of the night, making the score 2-1. The goal caused a commotion, and the Woodford bench were given a yellow card for celebrating too enthusiastically with the student section after the goal.
Having spent a great deal of the early part of the match searching for some energy, Woodford entered the break with the situation completely reversed.
Sanchez urged his team in the locker room to continue attacking.
Sanchez said, “When we came out of the locker room, I said, ‘Hey, let’s go ahead,’ since you were a goal down and then scored two goals, so just go ahead and put them on their heels.”
Instead, Bethlehem responded.
In the eighth minute of the second half, Conner Denton scored for Bethlehem to make it 2-2, turning the match into a struggle for the final minutes.
The game stayed physical and as Aguilar said after the game, the constant communication on the field led to success down the stretch.
“It’s all about showing support,” said Aguilar. “The guys talked the whole game and we stayed on the same page. We know the game is physical and you can’t overreact to those things. Being level-headed and looking for opportunities is how we won this game.”
Woodford eventually got the chance to take the lead when a Jacket was brought down inside the box.
This time Woodford was the one who took the penalty kick.
Aguilar scored from the kick, finishing his hat trick and once again putting the Jackets ahead 3-2.
Woodford protected the one-goal lead the rest of the way to send the home crowd away with a victory.
Despite the win, Sanchez saw plenty for the Jackets to clean up.
“We made it harder on ourselves, giving up really silly goals,” Sanchez said. “Just miscommunication there, really not focused, not organized within ourselves.”
Sanchez also credited Bethlehem for forcing Woodford to work for everything it got.
“They’re a good team,” Sanchez said. “They’re very well organized. They work really hard. They cover each other. They play with high energy as well. So it was a good battle, for sure.”
For Aguilar, three goals and a home-opening victory provided the confidence boost he was looking for.
“Just boost my confidence,” Aguilar said. “A lot.”