Hillsdale boys’ soccer revels in critical PAL Ocean soccer win vs. Sequoia

But Hillsdale did what a division leader does: the Knights took care of business.

After a slow, cautious start, Hillsdale got a pair of first-half goals 10 minutes apart and then nursed that lead to the end to post a 2-0 win over Sequoia, all but ending the Ravens’ title hopes.

“Frustrating. Super frustrating,” said Sequoia head coach Greg Markoulakis. “It’s been frustrating most of the season.”Markoulakis lamented the lack of continuity on his team, as either COVID or injuries have kept a number of Ravens on the sideline. Markoulakis said with so many players moving in and out of the lineup, it’s been hard to find a rhythm.

But he was quick to say that was not an excuse in the loss to the Knights.

“Hillsdale, they have a lot of energy,” Markoulakis said.

But it was Sequoia (2-3-2 PAL Ocean, 8 points, 5-5-5 overall) that started the game with more energy and it translated into a first-minute chance as Diego Jimenez made a run down the right sideline and whipped a cross to the front of the goal where Ben Schwartz’s flicked header was saved.

Three minutes later, Sequoia earned a free kick from 28 yards out. Jimenez sent a cross to the far left post where Jose Barragan got a foot to it, but pushed the shot wide.

Hillsdale, meanwhile, was showing a lack of patience as the Knights tried to attack the Ravens directly.

But Hillsdale head coach Jaime Gomez said that was part of his plan early on. He wanted to see how the Ravens responded to the strategy.

“[Sequoia] came out and I think their plan was to try to get an early goal,” Gomez said. “I told the boys, be patient. The moment will come. It’s not going to come right away.”

About 15 minutes in, Hillsdale (6-1, 18 points, 11-4-1) started knocking the ball around, controlling possession and finding its rhythm.

Turns out, that rhythm was on the wing in the form of Gabe Baima. It took him a while to figure it out, but once he got his legs, he made the left flank miserable for the Sequoia defense.

But it was a shot down the middle that opened the scoring. In the 21st minute, Hillsdale’s Danny Aspillera received the ball on the left side of the penalty. He took a shot that was parried away by Sequoia goalkeeper Parker Allen — but the rebound went right to Baima, who one-timed a shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“Gabe is a great player to have,” Gomez said. “Great energy. When he’s on, he’s a threat.”

About 10 minutes before halftime, the Knights struck again, with Baima, again, playing a major role. Using a nice spin move to get past his defender, Baima made a long run up the left sideline. As he neared the end line, he cut a pass to the front of the goal. Shay Quock split a pair of Sequoia defenders and poked a shot past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead at halftime.

“Shay is probably one of our smallest guys, but to me, he’s the biggest on the field,” Gomez said. “He’s been a good asset.”

Sequoia stepped up its attack to start the second half, but the Hillsdale held the Ravens at bay.

In the 57th minute, it appeared to game was about to unravel as the Sequoia goalkeeper shoved Quock to the ground following a run on goal. That set off a flurry of retaliations of pushes and shoves as players had to be separated.

After a lengthy discussion with his assistant, the head referee gave the goalkeeper a straight red card ejection and awarded a penalty kick to the Knights.

But the ensuing kick was blasted over the top of the goal, keeping Sequoia in the game.

“That was the big moment,” Gomez said. “You go up 3-0 (with 20 minutes left), it puts the game away. But at 2-0 … they had us on our heels the last 15 minutes.”

Despite throwing everything they had at the Knights’ goal over the final 15 minutes, the Ravens could not solve the Hillsdale defense.

“We stay humble,” Gomez said. “But they see (what’s at stake) and they understand they have to work for it.”