Box Score Glendale, Ariz.- Three days removed from their opening win, the Firestorm achieved a 3-1 victory, this time in comeback fashion over the Park University Gilbert Buccaneers. ACU found themselves trailing 1-0 early in the second half before rattling off three goals in the final 28 minutes. With the win, the Firestorm move to 2-0 and up their undefeated streak at home to 16 games, dating back to the finale of the 2020 season.
Score: Â Arizona Christian 3, Park Gilbert 1
Records:Â Arizona Christian 2-0-0 (0-0-0) | Park Gilbert 0-2-0 (0-0-0)
Location: ACU Football Field - Glendale, AZ
STAT TRACKER
Cristhian Flores - 1 goal, 3 shots
Shiloh Perez - 1 goal, 1 shot
Marlon Arce - 1 goal, 1 shot
Aiden Abbitt - 1 assist, 3 shots
Jose Garcia - 1 assist, 1 shot
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Heading into the matchup, Coach Ted Krzywiecki said of the teams they were to face this 2023 season, Park Gilbert would likely be the most improved from past competition. This prediction proved to be true as the new-look Buccaneers came out of the gates ready to play. ACU's goalkeeper Carlos Gallardo was not challenged much in the first half (1 save), but Park Gilbert assuredly put pressure on the Firestorm backline, including Yannick Ossinonde and Tiago Soares. After 45 minutes, the Firestorm won the shots battle 10-5, three of those threatening to score.
A defensive, physical showdown continued through the opening minutes of the second half. It was not till the waning seconds of the 54th minute that Buccaneer's Konstantinos Hinteregger discovered a chink in the Firestorm's armor, delivering a lobbed ball to teammate Ashton Owen who struck it clean into the goal. Park Gilbert's 1-0 lead would not last long, as ACU's Aiden Abbitt displayed expert ball-handling skills and found Cristhian Flores on a cross for the tying goal just eight minutes later.Â
Forward Shiloh Perez only played for an 11-minute span in the second period, but made an undeniable impact as he scored a go-ahead goal off of a precision pass from Jose Garcia. The foul tally favored Park Gilbert in both halves, and frustration was certainly apparent as the Buccaneers recorded 18 at game's end. A combination of frustration and lackadaisical effort from the Buccaneer goalie Andrew Powell left ACU's Marlon Arce with an open shot and his goal was the back-breaker. An unassisted third goal in the 87th minute made the Firestorm content to hold possession for a 3-1 victory.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH TED KRZYWIECKI
"Tonight was another tough and physical battle for us," Coach Krzywiecki said. "We are continuing to learn lessons and understand our group identity. Again it was great to see a guy come off the bench (Shiloh) and score a great goal. We need to regroup and recover as we prepare for three very strong Cascade Conference teams at the start of September."
NEXT MATCH
The Firestorm will have some time to recover, as their next game is not till September 2nd when they play at home for a third consecutive time against Southern Oregon. The upcoming contest and ACU's bid at three straight victories to start the season will kick off at 8:00 PM. Follow along with @ACUFirestorm on Instagram and Twitter for the latest information.
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Roll Storm!
