BAKER BOYS SOCCER: Ontario tops Baker 4-2 to take lead in GOL standings

Published 4:09 pm Monday, October 7, 2024

First place in the Greater Oregon League was on the line Monday night, Oct. 7, when the Ontario boys soccer team traveled to the Baker Sports Complex to take on the Bulldogs.

Baker led 1-0 early and tied it at 2 in the first half, but the Bulldogs couldn’t put much pressure on the Tigers in the second half and Ontario went on to a 4-2 win.

The Tigers are 3-0 in league play. Baker dropped to 2-1.

Baker coach Victor Benites said that despite the loss, he was pleased with Baker’s performance.

“I thought we played a great game,” Benites said. “Ontario always has a good team.”

Benites said the Tigers are adept at controlling the ball, which was a key at keeping the pressure on the Baker defense for the latter part of the first half and most of the second.

“They do pass the ball quite well,” Benites said.

He said the Bulldogs too often “jabbed” at the ball with a foot, and the Ontario players took advantage.

“That’s what they want you to do — jab at the ball, miss, and they’re gone,” Benites said.

He said Baker should be better prepared for Ontario’s style of play for the rematch in the final regular season game on Oct. 29 at Ontario. The league title could potentially be at stake that day.

“Now we know what to expect,” Benites said.

The JV game was a 4-4 draw.

First half

Baker took the lead less than four minutes in when Alan Bedolla knocked in a corner kick for a 1-0 Baker lead.

Ontario tied it at 1 on Ericsson Arriaza’s goal 14 minutes in.

Baker had nearly taken a 2-0 lead a few minutes earlier when Kane Hellberg got loose on a breakaway. The Ontario keeper got a hand on the shot at the last second.

Ontario took the lead at 2-1 on a header off a corner kick with 15 minutes left in the half.

The lead didn’t last long, though, as Danny Duran-Puente scored when Hellberg’s corner kick caromed off an Ontario in front of the goal. Duran-Puente punched it in with his left foot.

The action continued as Ontario regained the lead with 8:30 left in the half on a long shot into the left corner.

Ontario nearly extended its lead to 4-2 in the final five minutes, but Baker keeper Hasen Hellberg made a leaping save to deny Ontario a goal and keep the score at 3-2 at halftime.

Second half

Hasen Hellberg turned back several Ontario shots to keep it at 3-2 for the first 30 minutes, but the Tigers finally broke through on Syrus Uribe’s shot to the upper right corner of the net with 9:22 left to make it 4-2.

Baker struggled to keep the ball in Ontario’s side of the field and had only a few shots in the second half.

Up next

Baker has eight days off, resuming its league schedule at Pendleton on Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m. Baker beat the Bucks 3-1 on Sept. 24.