Albion SC Pros walked away with a draw against FC Hasental at Mission Bay High School Saturday night.
FC Hasental pressed high within the first 15 minutes of the game and found themselves a goal from a solo performance by Cameron Artigliere, who was given the ball and chipped it over the goalie, placing it in the back of the net.
In the 23rd minute, Albion had a chance to tie the game when they were awarded a penalty kick. FC Hasental defender Joel Contreras fouled forward Tre Hayes and was given a red card, which ejected him from the game.
Felipe Liborio stepped up to take the penalty kick but missed his shot wide left. Due to the ejection, FC Hasental was left playing a man down for the rest of the game.
Hasental was not finished scoring when Artigliere got himself a second goal, this time from a free kick 30 yards out.
Even with a score of 2-0, Albion SC continued to fight back and finished the half strong getting a goal in stoppage time. A cross was sent into forward David Luquen, who shot the ball into the right upper 90.
After halftime, Albion gained momentum and got themselves an equalizer in the 53rd minute from Luquen, his second goal for the night.
“I felt it was a game where we were fighting ourselves uphill and credit to [Hasental] for working extremely hard,” Albion head coach Ziggy Korytoski said.
Working hard was exactly what Hasental did when they secured a third goal due to a missed clearance from Albion goalie Jean Antoine. After coming out of the box, Antoine missed the ball and Hasental easily passed the ball in for a goal.
In the 89th minute, Albion answered back with the game’s final goal, a powerful header from Hayes.
Although Albion wasn’t able to come away with three points, even playing a man up most the game, the team believed they gave a solid performance.
“Our possession wasn’t that strong today, but I think overall getting the ball in and getting into the attacking spaces were our strengths today,” Hayes said.
Despite Albion SC Pros unable to get a win, fans showed support while attending the game and celebrated “Fan Appreciation Day,” a tailgate that included live music, food, face painting, and meet and greet.
Albion played the game with the absence of their top scorer Mathew Clare, who was unable to play due to a red card received in the previous game. On the other hand, this was goalie Jean Antoine’s first game back after returning from an injury. Antoine had only given up two goals previous to this game.
With a record of 10-0-4, Albion has secured a national playoff bid and are now battling for a home playoff game.
“We just need to worry about ourselves, be accountable, and learn to execute,” Korytoski said.
Albion SC Pros face Temecula FC away in their next match on June 21st at 5:00 pm PST.
