Ray’s Late Goal Gives Hopewell a Crucial 3-2 Win Over Keystone Oaks

The Hopewell High School Boys Soccer team secured a crucial 3-2 victory on Saturday afternoon against Keystone Oaks in what was likely a must-win game that tested the team’s resilience.

The Vikings battled from behind multiple times but managed to pull off an impressive comeback to secure the win.

Keystone Oaks took an early lead in the first half when an own goal put the Vikings down 1-0, which remained the score going into halftime. Determined to bounce back, the Vikings came out strong in the second half. Goaltender Tallon Coleman played a pivotal role, making two critical saves that kept Hopewell within striking distance.

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Hopewell got on the board when a breakaway from Tommy Armour drew a penalty after colliding with the Keystone goalie inside the box. Armour converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1-1.

However, the Vikings’ momentum took another hit when a perfectly placed corner kick from Keystone Oaks was inadvertently deflected into Hopewell’s net, putting KO up 2-1.

Despite the setback, Hopewell refused to give up. A powerful throw-in from Armour reached Aaden Gonzalez, who made a short pass to Nykyeron Leonora, who delivered a stunning shot to the upper left corner. The match was now tied at 2 apiece.

As the clock ticked down, the Vikings pressed for a win. With less than eight minutes remaining, a quick throw-in by Gonzalez found Sammy Milligan, who lofted a pass into the box. Bryce Ray, perfectly positioned, jumped mid-air and headed the ball past the goalkeeper’s hands, scoring the decisive third goal.

Hopewell successfully defended their lead for the final minutes and celebrated a hard-fought 3-2 victory, a massive boost to their season momentum.

The JV squad also played a hard-fought game, where they played down players due to injuries with no substitutions. The Vikings were able to control the game both offensively and defensively. However, KO was able to capitalize when the Vikings went down an additional player due to a controversial yellow card and was able to score the only goal of the game.

Hopewell is back in action this coming Wednesday when they host Ellwood City. The match will begin at 8 PM.