Playing on an artificial turf field for the first time this
season may have surprised the San Benito boys’ soccer team on
Thursday. Unable to keep pace early on against host Salinas, the
Balers fell behind 3-0 at halftime before losing 3-1 to the Cowboys
in Tri-County Athletic League action
— the first loss for San Benito this season.
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SALINAS
Playing on an artificial turf field for the first time this season may have surprised the San Benito boys’ soccer team on Thursday.
Unable to keep pace early on against host Salinas, the Balers fell behind 3-0 at halftime before losing 3-1 to the Cowboys in Tri-County Athletic League action — the first loss for San Benito this season.
The Balers are now 6-1-2 overall, 0-1-1 in the TCAL, while Salinas remains undefeated with the win, improving to 2-0 in the TCAL and 7-0-1 overall.
“We were not used to it,” San Benito head coach Tony Deras said of the turf field. “But most of the high schools we’re gonna be playing against play on artificial turf.”
The faster-paced surface may have taken the Balers aback. While it allowed the Cowboys to jump out to a three-goal lead by halftime, San Benito held Salinas in check in the final 40 minutes.
Brian Cruz deposited the team’s lone goal off a penalty kick in the 55th minute to cut into Salinas’ lead, but the Balers couldn’t minimize the deficit any further.
“We picked up the pace in the second half,” Deras said. “We wanted it so bad, but unfortunately we couldn’t finish.”
The Balers are off next Tuesday but will return to the pitch on Thursday when they will visit Gilroy. Kickoff is 5:15 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 F
SANB 0 1 1
SALN 3 0 3
