Howard hustles into state soccer tourney for first time

Soccer ball
Soccer ball

Neyder Gonzalez- Galvez's right foot helped Howard's boys' soccer program book its first trip to the state tournament with a 3-1 win over Kingston in a Class AA state sectional Saturday night at Boyd-Buchanan.

After conceding a goal in the match's opening minutes, the Hustlin' Tigers (12-3-2) answered with an equalizer just before the 30th minute.

From there, the winningest team in program history controlled possession heavily for the remainder of the half, which led to Gonzalez-Galvez receiving a long lob pass in Kingston's box less than two minutes before halftime. After a controlled first touch, the sophomore then cut right to find space and immediately booted a ball that was too strong for the goalkeeper's hands.

"We knew they were a team full of seniors, and early in the game they were showing us that they wanted a win just as bad as us," Howard coach Curtis Warner said. "I kept yelling to my team 'It's not over!', and we eventually showed everyone watching what we're made of."

A frustrating end to the first half continued in the second for Kingston (9-7) as Howard's defense stepped up a notch behind senior goalkeeper Jaime Gomez. After numerous crucial saves and clearances, Gonzalez-Galvez netted an insurance goal on a breakaway after having a potential goal of his called off just minutes prior.

Now Howard is headed to state, which begins Tuesday night at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro.

"We were never expected to get this far," Warner said after the win. "Seeing what I saw today and remembering where I started with them is amazing, but the most important thing to me is that they've been handling the success with class."

Contact John Mitchell at sports@timesfreepress.com.

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