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Through the first stretch of Centralia College’s game against Highline on Wednesday, the Trailblazers kept up with the third-ranked Highline Thunderbirds.
Midway through the first half, though, Highline found its groove.
The Thunderbirds scored five goals before the break and added two more after half, rolling to a 7-1 win over Centralia College on the turf of Bob Peters Field.
“It was one of those frustrating games,” Centralia College coach Noel Vazquez said. “We just had a lot of mental mistakes in the back line, and we didn’t communicate well. The biggest thing is just understanding what we need to do early in the game and not once we’re down.”
Mario Silva Gutierrez scored the Trailblazers goal in the second half on a free kick just outside the 18-yard box on the right side. Silva Gutierrez helped earn the free kick by sending a through ball to Angel Rojas, who was fouled hard by the keeper, which drew a red card.
Silva Gutierrez played the free kick quickly when he noticed the new keeper drifting right in net as his team was getting set, and he promptly placed a shot over the well and into the left corner.
CC will have two more chances against Highline later this season, first at home again on Sept. 27, and second in Des Moines on Oct. 15.
“I think it’s the beauty of playing everybody three times this year,” Vazquez said. “You get to see them the first time, learn from that, and hopefully, it doesn’t happen the second time or the third time we see them.”
Before then, the Trailblazers (1-7, 1-3 NWAC) will head to Clark on Saturday before returning home to host South Puget Sound on Wednesday.
