Barlow boys soccer battles past Sandy 5-2 as Alexis Avalos nets hat trick

Published 9:42 pm Monday, October 9, 2023

Illness and injury could have destabilized a Barlow boys soccer team with a lot of questions surrounding its lineup.

Bruins star junior midfielder Quentin Torbert was sick heading into a Monday night, Oct. 9, match against Mt. Hood Conference foe Sandy. Barlow was also down a starting center back.

“There were circumstances that left some of our better players out of the game tonight,” said Coach Neal Bridgnell. “So we had to have some players in different positions, different combinations.”

Luckily they found a formula that worked, thanks to a jack-of-all-trades junior who was more than willing to step up for his team.

“Gavin Nail did really well,” Bridgnell said. “He is just a little dynamo, and has plugged those holes all season.”

His coach described Nail as a “utility” player, with the southpaw capable of playing in all facets of the game. Last week, in a bout with Gresham, that meant suiting up as goalkeeper for the second half after a red card forced out the starter. On the road against Sandy, he was the focal point of the defense.

“I asked him if he had played center back before, and he said, ‘Oh yeah, of course,’” Bridgnell said with a smile.

If any of the Bruins were uncomfortable with their positions on pitch, you wouldn’t have know it. Barlow won a clinical 5-2 victory over Sandy.

“It will be tough to decide who plays where now with everyone coming back,” Bridgnell said.

For Barlow (5-6, 1-2 League) junior forward Alexis Avalos had a hat trick with three goals; and sophomore midfielder Matty Callison and sophomore defender Gabriel Florez Sanchez senior both added scores.

“We had opportunities with our strikers,” Coach Bridgnell said. “Matty Callison and Alexis Avalos were able to find the ball in space in the middle of the box.”

For Sandy (3-5-2, 0-3 League) senior defender Edgar Garcia Gonzalez had a goal, as did junior forward Owen Burnett.

The first half was controlled by the Bruins, who found the back of the net twice after overcommitments by the Sandy defenders. Both scores came in the first 10 minutes, after which things settled in a possession game.

The opener was courtesy Avalos, and the follow-up was a pretty score from Callison, who had a quick turn at the top of the box to shake free from his defender. It was 2-0 at the break.

Sandy didn’t fade away quietly. In the second half they made a tactical change, a “roll of the dice,” as Coach Christopher Cramer put it. The Pioneers shifted into a three-back lineup, moving an extra player into the attack to try and jumpstart the offense.

It was a risky move, and one that allowed the Bruins more space to operate during their own attack.

The Bruins added their third, a brace from Avalos, before Sandy finally found the back of the net. Gonzalez fired home a goal after an assist from fellow senior defender Carson Reilley.

“We let that goal in because we just sat back and watched it,” Bridgnell said.

But a minute later Barlow answered with Sanchez’s goal, which came after a bobble by Sandy’s goalie, and then Avalos celebrated his hat trick for the 5-1 lead.

Sandy’s final goal was the punctuation on a good stretch of play late. The Pioneers showed energy in the final 10 minutes, firing several dangerous chances toward the net. Burnett redirected an impressive header into the upper corner, but Sandy ran out of time to mount any real comeback.