Fernanda Pena Nieto scored four goals to lead the Angelina College Roadrunner women’s soccer team to a 5-1 win over Paris College, but the Roadrunner men suffered a late goal in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to the Dragons Thursday at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.
A newcomer to her squad – she only joined the team a week ago – Pena Nieto wasted no time prefacing her big night: She scored with just 1:16 elapsed in the match, beating a pair of defenders and the Paris keeper for her first goal. In the 23rd minute, she took a cross from Bailey Bowers to bang home her second score and give the Roadrunner women a 2-0 lead at the break.
Pena Nieto scored again midway through the second half, blasting one home from long range. Six minutes later, she spun a kick over the keeper’s outstretched fingers for a 4-0 AC lead. Daisy de Boer would add a goal on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute, and Paris would score its lone goal with just three minutes remaining in the match.
The Roadrunner men played spectacular defense – including a superb effort from keeper Shane Wallace – over the first 87 minutes against the Dragons, but Paris defenders matched AC’s efforts on that end of the pitch. Dragon keeper Eduardo Flores turned in his squad’s play of the night when he stuffed a penalty kick in the first seven minutes. With the teams scoreless and appearing headed toward overtime, Paris’ Edson Palacios finally squeezed a ball past AC defenders for the match’s lone goal and a 1-0 Dragon win.
Both the Roadrunner women (4-2, 3-1) and men (2-4, 1-3) are at home on Saturday against Northeast Texas Community College. Kickoff at Jase Magers Field is at 2 p.m. for the women and 4 p.m. for the men.
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
