Thornton – There are quick starts, and then there is the goal scored by Horizon freshman Koobhmoov Vang.
Just 20 seconds into Horizon’s boys soccer season, Vang beat Columbine goalkeeper Ty Werges to a loose ball about 15 yards from the net and tapped in an easy score.
The early goal propelled the Hawks, Class 5A’s sixth-ranked team, to a 3-1 nonleague victory over No. 8 Columbine on Saturday night at Five Star Stadium.
“I was pretty nervous before the game,” said Vang, who was playing in his first high school contest. “Mike (Martinez) just passed the ball in and I poked it under (Werges).”
Art Drotar, the Hawks’ coach, liked what he saw from the newcomer in his team’s opener.
“You can’t get a better start than that,” he said.
Horizon controlled much of the action throughout the game. The Hawks followed Vang’s goal with four close calls in the first half before co-captain Nick Cardenas put his team up 2-0 in the 34th minute of action.
Cardenas beat two Columbine defenders in front of the goal before unleashing a difficult, moving left-footer that was just high enough to scrape past Werges’ fingertips.
“It was just a matter of time (before I scored). It seemed like everything was going good for us, especially after (Vang’s) goal. That’s probably the best start ever,” Cardenas said.
Columbine (0-1-1) generated much of its offense via corner kicks, of which the Rebels registered six in the first half.
“We created some good chances. When you are getting that many corner kicks, it means you are going at them. We just have to finish,” Columbine coach Peter Horvath said.
Trailing 2-0, the Rebels broke onto the scoreboard when midfielder Sean Throckmorton scored in the 53rd minute with no teammates and plenty of defenders around. But Horizon waited only five minutes to respond in artistic fashion.
Martinez, charging down the left side of the field, looped a pass ahead to the top of Car- denas’ head, and the senior knocked in the assist to put the Hawks up 3-1.
“We made too many mistakes, and Nick is going to punish you when you do that,” Horvath said.
Horizon put 12 shots on goal to Columbine’s four, and that type of dominance enabled the Hawks to open their season with a convincing victory.
Columbine 0 1 – 1
Horizon 2 1 – 3
Goals – Vang, H, (Martinez), first minute; Cardenas, H, (unassisted), 34th; Throckmorton, C, (unassisted), 53rd; Cardenas, H, (Martinez), 58th.
Shots on goal – Columbine 1-3 – 4; Horizon 7-5 – 12. Saves – Columbine (Werges) 5-4 – 9; Horizon (Frayser and Gilliard) 1-2 – 3. Corner kicks – Columbine 6-1 – 7; Horizon 0-0 – 0. Offsides – None. Penalties – Columbine 6-6 . 12; Horizon 4-5 . 9. Yellow cards – Hoffner (17th); Martinez (72nd).
