Soccer: Packer boys drop opener to Como Park
Published 2:38 pm Saturday, August 24, 2013
Austin’s Roel Torres handles the ball against Como Park in Art Hass Stadium Saturday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Packer boys soccer team opened its season with a 3-1 loss to Como Park in Art Hass Stadium Saturday.
Austin (0-1 overall) tied the game at 1-1 in the 50th minute when Roel Torres took a pass from Levi Vierkandt and hammered home an 18-yard goal. The Cougars responded just 20 seconds later when Will Kidd scored his second goal of the day on a breakaway.
Austin’s Ochan Ochogi controls the ball near Como Park’s Abrahim Hashim during the Packers’ 3-1 loss to the Cougars in Art Hass Stadium Saturday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Como put the game away in the 60th minute when Zach Lee put in a 20-yard free kick.
“This is the first time this group has played together as a team,” Austin head coach Jens Levisen said. “We did some things well and we made some mistakes.”
The Packers showed plenty of burst on offense as they had some solid chances. Carlos Vera had a shot bounce off the cross bar with 34:21 left in the game and Torres had a couple of other solid chances come up empty.
The Packers tallied six shots on goal while their keeper Abraham Manzano stopped eight shots.
Levisen was glad his team had a chance to open against Como, which went to the state tournament last season.
“We know they’re a great program,” Levisen said. “They were a great test for us to start off with.”