By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After dropping a 5-4 double-overtime road heartbreaker to Lawrence on a penalty kick Tuesday night, Topeka High's soccer team was looking for something positive to wipe the sour taste out of its match.
It only took 1 minute, 49 seconds on Thursday at Hummer Sports Park to start that process, with the Trojans getting an early goal from junior Noah Storrer to kick start a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden.
Topeka High junior Noah Storrer (6) put the Trojans ahead to stay with an early goal and the Trojans went on to take a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We were excited about the way we played at times against Lawrence, but having that filthy taste in our mouths for a couple of days, getting a goal early and doing it the right way and not just getting lucky with something, that set the tone for the evening,'' Topeka High coach Derek Snook said.
Senior Jaime Alvarado scored the first of his two goals at the 29:24 mark of the opening half to give Topeka High a 2-0 halftime advantage and the 1-1 Trojans pulled away in the second half to open the league race with a win.
Senior Ian Martinez (middle) celebrates a goal with Topeka High teammates Jaime Alvarado (left) and Bruno Nunez in the Trojans' 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden Thursday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Jaime Alvarado (13) and Ian Martinez both had two goals in Thursday's 5-1 Topeka High soccer win over Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Ian Martinez scored a pair of goals in a little over five minutes in the second half to put the Trojans in front 4-0 with 24:16 remaining before Alvarado netted his second goal of the night to give High a 5-0 advantage with 22:56 left.
Junior Lane Neuman (1) scored Hayden's lone goal in Thursday's 5-1 Centennial League loss to Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Lane Neuman got Hayden (0-2, 0-1) on the board with 21:35 remaining as the Wildcats avoided the shutout.
Junior Bruno Nunez was credited with a pair of assists for Topeka High while Alvarado and sophomore Carlos Acosta-Martinez also picked up assists.
"We still need to work on being consistent for 80 minutes instead of just the first 40,'' Snook said. "We had to figure it out a little bit early in the second half because they changed up their defense a little bit and we had a bunch of offsides calls. We just weren't being consistent enough, but I'm happy with the fact that we slowed it back down and got back into our game.''
Topeka High will be back at Hummer next Monday to host Highland Park while Hayden will travel to Ottawa on Monday.
TOPEKA HIGH 5, HAYDEN 1
Hayden (0-2-0, 0-1-0) 0 1 -- 1
Topeka High (1-1, 1-0) 2 3 -- 5
Hayden -- Goal: Lane Neuman.
Topeka High -- Goals: Jaime Alvarado 2, Ian Martinez 2, Noah Storrer. Assists: Bruno Nunez 2, Jaime Alvarado, Carlos Acosta-Martinez.
