By Moses Leos III.
Battling multiple injuries, the Lehman Lobo soccer team finished 2-2 at the Akins Tournament at Burger Center in Austin over the weekend.
Injuries hindered several of the Lobos’ key players. The biggest was center midfielder Bryan Percastegui, who was injured during the tournament and is out for the year.
Head coach Jay Sansom said replacing those players was difficult. Particularly Percastegui, whom he said was “the best defensive midfielder we’ve had in a long time.”
The Lobos pressed on, but were felled by host Akins in the first game 3-0; a game that was scoreless for most of the first half.
Lehman rebounded in their second match, defeating McCallum 3-1.
Despite the injuries, Sansom chalked the win to system familiarity.
“[Our kids] were running the system of play we wanted them to,” he said. “The second game against McCallum [allowed] us to be able to get some production.”
The Lobos followed with a 4-0 win over Leander, placing them in the consolation match against Pflugerville, who defeated the Lobos 4-3.
After conceding an early penalty to the Panthers, Lehman recovered, battling back to take a 3-2 lead at halftime.
Sansom was pleased with his defense during the tournament, especially against Pflugerville. It was compounded by his back line consisting of junior varsity players.
“They stepped up, played hard and smart, and didn’t put us in bind,” Sansom said. “ I think they’re pretty confident (going forward).”
But the Panthers rallied back, holding Lehman scoreless in the second half en route to the win.
Overall, Sansom was pleased with the outcome over the weekend. He felt the team was more cohesive than a week ago at the Rebel Cup. He said the team is headed in the right direction, with a lot of experience gained.
Now Lehman readies for district; Sansom feels the team is prepared.
“I think they are (ready),” Sansom said. “There was a lot of confidence gained this weekend. Many got playing time, and we brought people up for depth.”
Forward Diego Garcia led the Lobos with five goals over the weekend. Michael Diers, Brandon Castillon and Rene Torres each had one.
Battling multiple injuries, the Lehman Lobo soccer team finished 2-2 at the Akins Tournament at Burger Center in Austin over the weekend.
Injuries hindered several of the Lobos’ key players. The biggest was center midfielder Bryan Percastegui, who was injured during the tournament and is out for the year.
Head coach Jay Sansom said replacing those players was difficult. Particularly Percastegui, whom he said was “the best defensive midfielder we’ve had in a long time.”
The Lobos pressed on, but were felled by host Akins in the first game 3-0; a game that was scoreless for most of the first half.
Lehman rebounded in their second match, defeating McCallum 3-1.
Despite the injuries, Sansom chalked the win to system familiarity.
“[Our kids] were running the system of play we wanted them to,” he said. “The second game against McCallum [allowed] us to be able to get some production.”
The Lobos followed with a 4-0 win over Leander, placing them in the consolation match against Pflugerville, who defeated the Lobos 4-3.
After conceding an early penalty to the Panthers, Lehman recovered, battling back to take a 3-2 lead at halftime.
Sansom was pleased with his defense during the tournament, especially against Pflugerville. It was compounded by his back line consisting of junior varsity players.
“They stepped up, played hard and smart, and didn’t put us in bind,” Sansom said. “ I think they’re pretty confident (going forward).”
But the Panthers rallied back, holding Lehman scoreless in the second half en route to the win.
Overall, Sansom was pleased with the outcome over the weekend. He felt the team was more cohesive than a week ago at the Rebel Cup. He said the team is headed in the right direction, with a lot of experience gained.
Now Lehman readies for district; Sansom feels the team is prepared.
“I think they are (ready),” Sansom said. “There was a lot of confidence gained this weekend. Many got playing time, and we brought people up for depth.”
Forward Diego Garcia led the Lobos with five goals over the weekend. Michael Diers, Brandon Castillon and Rene Torres each had one.
