Storm Wins Home Opener 4-3 Over Las Vegas

Santa Clarita, CA - The Storm moved in quickly Saturday Night at Harry Welch Stadium. The Home team put three goals on the board within 3 minutes in in 4-3 win in their home opener. It was Julio Lopez, Derek Dodrill and Mauricio Harrie who in the 23rd, 25th and 26th minutes of play put the Storm on the board and in the lead in the first half.  The Storm completely controlled the game the first 45 minutes of play, when in the 23rd minute the Storm's Julio Lopez started the

Julio Lopez- Midfielder

scoring off. A throw-in pass to Lopez allowed him to get a quick shot to give the Storm a 1-0 lead. Just two minutes later off of a corner kick from Lopez, defender Derek Dodrill took the cross and headed it passed the Stallions goal-keeper Julio Garcia. Fina-lly on a very quick turnover the Storm's Tyler Coombes completed a pass to Mauricio Harrie who found himself in the box, pulling Garcia out and lobbing the ball to the far post to catch Garcia off balanced and out of his net to put away the third goal in as many minutes.  The Storm held the Stallions F.C to only one shot, however the second 45 minutes was a whole different story as the Stallions found new life and came out with a desire and started controlling the ball. Just 11 minutes into the second half Edgar Luna of the Stallions took a shot across his body and from 30 yards out and blasted a shot that was just inches from the fingers of Storm 'keeper Miguel Lopez and Luna had put the Stallions on the
board with their first goal of the season. That gave the Las Vegas team what they needed and they started to apply much more consistent pressure to the Storm. No more than five minutes
later they came back on the attack and in the 61st minute forward Gerardo Romero received a pass from Luna in the box and capitilzed on it to put his team within 1 in what was now a
3-2 contest. In the 68th minute on a recovered pass the Storm began an attack lead by second half substitute Vicente Arredondo at the 20 yard line, took a shot that hit a Stallion player and
landed in front of Tyler Coombes who put in what ended up to be the game winner. In the 78th minute the Stallions challenged that with an attack quickly taking a shot on target that keeper
Miguel Lopez came out and saved! However the ball took a bounce off of Lopez and the Stallions Anthony Escamilla picked up the loose ball and but his team within one again. The Stallions F.C still determined pressed for the next 26 minutes of regular and stoppage time, but the Storm defense held the visitors off to pick up the 'W' and three much needed points in their home opener victory..

Storm 1-1-0
Stallions - 0-2-0
Player of the Game:

Photo's by Juan Miranda

Tyler Coombes
with the game winning goal in the 68th minute The Storm will now travel to San Diego to face F.C Boca for the first time this season.  The Storm will return home on April 27th and will face off with F.C Hasental in a 5:00p.m kick-off at Canyon High School - Harry Welch Stadium