Hartnell wins another big conference clash

Not much separted the Hartnell and Evergreen Valley soccer teams going into Friday night's big Coast Conference Southern Division showdown. Both teams were ranked one and two in the latest State RPI rankings that determines playoff seeds and one point seperated them in conference play. 

The difference maker was the combination of Hartnell's Daniel Pulido and Javier Alfaro. Daniel Pulido scored two goals and Javier Alfaro provided three assists in the first half to help Hartnell to a 3-1 victory over host Evergreen Valley. 

Hartnell started off the game firing. The offensive pressure paid off when Jose Mendoza beat Evergreen Valley's Nick Williams to a loose ball and finished the scramble in the box on the 17th minute. Three minutes later Pulido blasted the eventual game winner off a perfectly laid off ball from Alfaro, past the outstretched Williams, for the 2-0 lead. 

Just before the half, the Pulido-Alfaro combination struck again when Alfaro crossed the ball into the six yard box and Pulido was quick enough to beat Williams to the ball and notch his second goal of the game and a 3-0 halftime lead. 

Evergreen Valley got a goal back on a 57th minute breakaway, but was not able to match Hartnell's first half production to get back into the game.

Hartnell is now 12-1-2 overall and 5-0-2 in conference. Hartnell leads De Anza by one point and Evergreen by four points. 

Hartnell will host Las Positas on Tuesday, October 27 at 4 PM.