B

It should have been over.

Down two goals and down a man, Morristown East faced a massive uphill climb at home Tuesday night hosting Sevier County.

After Melvin Pavon was sent off with his second yellow in the 48th minute, Sevier County was able to spread things out, play the clock and take speculative chances into the attacking box as Angel Zelaya hunted his third goal of the night.

At first chances were few and far between for the Hurricanes and when those chances came, the attackers rushed the opportunity or tried for a miracle rather than working the ball to the goal.

Then, something clicked. They started winning long balls, earning real chances and in the 82nd minute they found the chance they’d been waiting for.

Oswaldo Castro found himself at the top of the box, chasing the ball as it rolled parallel to the goal mouth out from a scrum. Castro showed a touch of level-headedness, however. Rather than attempt a wonder strike, he saw teammate Jesus Guerrero charging unmarked to the ball.

Castro made the play by doing nothing. He simply allowed the ball to roll to Guerrero whose lost strike to the near post found the netting and cut the lead in half, setting up a furious finish as the Hurricanes fought to equalize.

Despite their best attempts, it was not to be.

The visitors held off the rally and held on for the victory, 2-1.

East coach Luis Sanchez said he wished the team had found their form in the first half when the sides were even. However, he was proud of the grit and determination of his team.

“Overall I’m proud,” he said. “Even with 10 players – one man down – they kept playing and fighting and scored that goal. We were pretty close to getting that second one.”

Sanchez said his team is still figuring out the demands of league play.

“It was a little bit of, I think, nervousness,” he said. “The fact that a lot of these players are going through their first conference game, a lot of new players on the team. Overall, we did good. I felt like we controlled the game as the first half goes. The second half, we have the unfortunate red car, which, I totally agree with it. Learn to keep your mouth shut and you won’t get kicked out of the game.

“I talk to my players about that. They should know better.”

Despite the two goals, East’s Freddy Rivera stood tall in the net, keeping his team in the game. Edgar Gonzalez made multiple key plays on the back line and Uriel Correa robbed Zelaya of a golden chance at his third goal with a deft slide tackle that took the ball off the attacker’s boot at the last possible second.

The teams traded chances in the early minutes but nothing seriously threatened until Rivera got a little aggressive leaving the goal box. His attempt at a pass was intercepted and the Sevier County forward launched the ball towards the empty net from 35 yards out. Luckily for the Hurricanes the shot was well wide of the empty net.

At about the 20 minute mark, Sevier County took the lion’s share of possession, keeping the attack on the Hurriane defense. It was during this portion of the match, that Kevin Pineda, on the right side of the attack sent a perfect curling cross into the box, but the header was pushed wide without vexing Rivera in the goal.

Minutes laters, Brandon Ramirez found some space, sending a through ball for Josue Valladeres who centered to Zelaya who slotted the ball past Rivera just before the keeper made contact.

East wasn’t deterred. Led by Pavon – who was playing like a mad man – East threated to equalize.

First Pavon blasted a shot from distance that was stopped when a Sevier County defender sacrificed his torso. The ricochet went back to Pavon who struck the ball in the air with his left, chopping it to the goal where keeper Kellen Banks got to the far post for the save.

Pavon wasn’t done.

On the ensuing possession, the ball floated to him – back to the goal – in the box. His bycicle kick had plenty of power and forced Banks to make a one-handed save at the crossbar, setting up a corner.

The ball found its way to Pavon again but his powerful shot was well wide of the goal mouth.

Pavon was shown his first yellow of the day as he expressed his frustration.

Whatever the reason for the yellow, the Hurricanes seemed to lose the momentum they’d been building.

“I think it gets on his head, too a little bit,” Sanchez said “It gives you that sense that you can’t really go all the way because you might get that second yellow card.”

East’s Eliud Cordova nearly equalized in the waning seconds of the half when a cross came to him right in front of the goal. Cordova jumped to get his legs to the ball, but pushed it wide.

It was less than 8 full minutes into the second half when Pavon drew his second yellow of the match and East went a man down.

Sevier County seemed to put the game away in the 57th minute when Rivera made a nice play to deflect a ball out of the goal. Castro then parried another shot with his forehead after Sevier County’s Neyser Soler sent a blast to the goal.

Castro’s header deflected off a teammate and fell to Zelaya who found the netting for the lead.

“That’s the thing. We’ve had trouble clearing the ball. We had a little bit of miscommunication there in the defense,” Sanchez said. “Somebody had to clear it, kind of just scraped it and it ended up at the other player’s feet. It’s just unfortunate really.”

After Guerrero’s goal, East had some chances. Alfredo Hernadez repeatedly won the ball up top, even earning a free kick at one point, but East couldn’t find the equalizer.

Still, Sanchez said, he likes the Hurricanes’ chances moving forward.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to bounce back up,” he said. “I feel like we’ve got good strong team. If we keep playing with heart, the way we did in the second half, I see us coming back.”