Following a two-game slate that saw them play against two teams who are at the bottom of the Trans Valley League standings, Orestimba boys’ soccer finished with a draw and win last week.

As the regular season comes to a near end, Orestimba (7-7-3 overall) sits at the top of the TVL standings with a 4-1-1 record after initially being tied for second against Ripon High School. Ripon, who initially was in first place in the TVL standings, fell to second place after they lost and drew against Escalon High School and Hilmar High School, respectively.

Senior forward Alfredo Figueroa was the catalyst of the Warriors’ offense as he scored seven goals in the last three games which included two hat tricks. So far this season, the senior forward recorded 10 total goals.

In their latest match, Orestimba came out with a decisive 2-1 on the road against Escalon on Friday.

Following Friday's contest, the Warriors extended their winning streak against Escalon to three games and improved their all-time head-to-head record to 3-10-2. 

After entering the second half tied 1-1, Orestimba took the lead as they scored a goal that ultimately decided the outcome of the match.

While getting a win certainly helps, Orestimba could’ve added one more win to their overall record had they prevented a 4-4 draw against Ripon Christian School 48 hours prior.

Wednesday’s match was pivotal but meaningful for both teams. Orestimba was entering with an unbeaten streak of 10 games against Ripon Christian dating back to January 2019. For Ripon Christian, they were winless in league play while also getting used to the competition of the TVL as this was their first season back in the league since the 2009-2010 season. This was also the first meeting between the two teams as members of the TVL.

After both teams spent the first couple of minutes developing a rhythm, Orestimba struck first on the board in the seventh minute thanks to Figueroa. After Orestimba stole possession following the Knights’ inbound, the senior forward received the ball from his teammates and drew the attention of Knights’ goalkeeper Welsey Vander Woude for an open goal to take an early 1-0 lead. 

Orestimba extended their lead two minutes later after Figueroa scored another goal on the left side of the Knights’ goalpost.

The Warriors’ offense was not the only thing that was clicking in the opening half, their defense came up with timely stops every time Ripon Christian had an opportunity to score. Whether that be senior goalkeeper Reyli Barrios saving the ball or a Warriors’ defender stealing a possession, Ripon Christian couldn’t find a spark offensively whenever they moved down the field.

Near the final minutes of the opening half, Vander Woude moved past his goalpost and tried to block Orestimba’s lofted pass. However, he ended up mistiming his save as the ball went over him and near Orestimba’s senior striker Bryan Carmona who took advantage of the unguarded goalpost to give Orestimba a 3-0 lead heading into the second half.

Following the goal, frustration started to ensue within Ripon Christian’s team as they tried to figure out how they could overcome their early deficit.

The Warriors continued where they left off in the second half. Within the first three minutes of the half, Figueroa scored his third goal of the match to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

It seemed that the match was in the makings of Orestimba winning but that goal may have sparked an offensive surge from Ripon Christian.

After missing opportunities to get on the board, junior Reagan Sauer scored a much-needed goal for the Knights to cut their deficit to 4-1.

The Knights scored another goal six minutes later following an inbound from senior Isaiah Vander Woude that was thrown near the Warriors’ goalbox and allowed junior Ricky Van Unen to score, cutting the Warriors’ lead to two points.

What was a large deficit to overcome turned into a possible chance for the Knights.

Less than a minute later, freshman Colton Veldstra scored a goal to bring Ripon Christian within one point. He then followed that up with another goal to tie the game at 4-4 with less than minutes later.

Players and coaches from Ripon Christian’s sideline started to get loud and cheerful while the entire Orestimba team was appalled by what had transpired as they let the game slip away.

Both teams missed multiple attempts at goal down the stretch as tensions arose with every minute getting closer to the end of regulation.

As time expired, Ripon Christian’s team rallied together on the field while Orestimba’s players walked off in disappointment.

With six games remaining in the season, Orestimba will face four of the top teams in the TVL standings as they look to remain in first place. They will host Sonora High School on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Navtej Hundal is a freelance journalist in Stanislaus County.