Triton’s varsity boys soccer team topped Overhills, 4-3, Monday on Senior Night for the Hawks as upperclassmen Benny Villalvazo scored the game winner in the 50th minute on an assist by classmate Luis Elizalde Valente.
Senior Bryan Ortega-Martinez had his own special night with three goals for the Jaguars (5-9, 4-7), including two on penalty kicks.
Triton improved to 13-4-1 overall and 8-2 in the All American Conference. Harnett Central and Terry Sanford are each 8-2 atop the league standings, according to MaxPreps. The Hawks visit Central on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and host Terry Sanford on Thursday night at 7.
Triton got out to a 2-0 lead Monday as Tommy Lopez scored in the 19th minute with Francisco Martinez providing the assist. Villalvazo found the net in the 27tb minute on a feed from Omar Hernandez.
The Hawks led 3-1 at halftime as Villalvazo sent a corner kick that senior Malik Beaumont converted in the 35th minute.
The Jaguars pulled even on a pair of goals in a 45-second span.
“The game was a little closer than I would have liked,” said Triton coach Brian Foster. “We missed some opportunities to really put them away and all credit to them. They played hard. But when they tied it up and we could’ve folded, we had a couple of seniors step up and do what they have done all season, which is finish.”
Villalvazo leads the team with 18 goals.
“This senior class is really a great example of what we are hoping to do with our program,” Foster said. “We’ve got some guys who made their mark early starting in their freshman year and have played varsity for four straight years and we’ve got some guys who worked their way up through our JV program and learned to play the way we wanted to play.
“Every one of them contributes and they showed tonight that they will be hard to replace.”