The Cubs took on St. Augustine High School under clear skies and warm weather to conclude their San Diego trip.
St. Augustine gained an early lead taking advantage of a missed pass by Loyola’s keeper making the score 1-0. But the Cubs responded quickly with an offensive counterattack lead by the midfield. Senior Michael Maloney threads the ball upfield to find Grayson Doody. Doody sprints with it to the upper right corner of the box and passes it to junior Jake Rodgers. Rodgers taps it in the the back of the net making it 1-1.
Loyola’s midfield was core to offensive opportunities. William Valentine ‘20 won numerous one on one battles against Augustine midfielders, and at the end of the first half, senior Eric Arreola makes a clean tackle to find Grayson Doody upfield. Doody outruns the St. Augustine defenders putting it in the middle right side (2-1 Cubs).
After the first half, the battle continued. During a skirmish for the ball in Loyola’s box, a St. Augustine defender finds and puts it in the back to make it 2-2. In the final ten minutes of the match, Loyola responds yet again with a strong attack. Will Valentine drills a shot from the outer edge of the box but it’s saved off the fingertips of the St. Augustine keeper. Rodgers is there for the rebound though and bangs it in, (3-2 Cubs).
The Cubs were able to finish their trip with a strong win against St. Augustine, and with their Mission League run coming next week, they should be able to gain more rhythm and momentum as a team.