Packers push Cougars to the final minutes in narrow home loss
Published 9:20 pm Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Austin’s Leonardo Hernandez tries to guide the ball past Mankato East’s Briggs Meyer during the first half Tuesday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Taw Reh plays the ball in front of Mankato East’s Griffin Asher, left, and Carson Stenzel (18) during the first half Tuesday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
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The season is winding down for the Packer boys soccer team, and Austin is picking up its play.
The Packers were with Mankato East every step of the way, but they ended up on the short end of a 1-0 score in the final regular season home game of the season at Art Hass Stadium Tuesday.
The Cougars (9-3-2 overall) took a 1-0 lead when Jhoel Dillon angled in a 35-yard shot with 20:33 left in the first half and that would be the only score for either team.
“They’re starting to play the way that we want them to. They created opportunities too and this is probably our best game of the year,” Austin head coach Jens Levisen said. “They were hungry at the end and they really wanted to push for that tie.”
Austin (4-6-5 overall) nearly tied the game when Monserrate Llompart Amengual’s shot was stopped on a diving save by the Cougars with 25:23 left in the game. The Packers also had scoring chances in the first half as freshman Law Htoo was denied on a pair of breakout opportunities.
Yair Lazaro stopped five shots in the first half for the Packers, and Kyler Flanders stopped all four of the shots he saw in the second half. Austin put up eight shots on goal.
“With it being senior night and parents night we wanted to make sure we got kids in and gave them a chance to play,” Levisen said. “We were able to do that and still be competitive against a good team.”
The Packers will close out their regular season at Rochester Century at 7 p.m. Thursday.
