Pavel Arguello secured a hat trick and had a hand—technically, a foot—in another goal to help the Moriarty High School boys soccer team beat the visiting East Mountain Timberwolves 4-1 Sept. 24.
Arguello, a senior who works the field as both a forward and a midfielder, scored two goals in the first half and scored on a penalty kick in the second half. His free kick in the first half contributed to another Moriarty goal. “It was a big game for me today,” he said.
In the 19th minute, Arguello took a pass from Frank McCleave and poked in the Pintos’ first goal.
Two minutes later, Arguello booted a free kick into a scrum in front of the goal that ricocheted off a T’Wolves defender and went in to give the Pintos a 2-0 advantage.
In the 28th minute, McCleave sent the ball into the 18-yard box where Arguello secured it, maneuvered around a T’Wolves defender and their goalkeeper to notch his second goal and a 3-0 Pintos lead.
“I found a little gap open, and I don’t usually use my left foot but I tried it with my left and it made it through a perfect gap, that one worked out for me nicely,” Arguello said.
Early in the second half, after getting knocked down inside the 18 and awarded a penalty kick, Arguello hammered in the PK for his third goal of the game.
McCleave was awarded a PK in the 52nd minute but his shot caromed off the right post.
Tizo Chavez scored East Mountain’s lone goal in the 60th minute. “The ball was just rolling and I was trying to go for the back post and I kicked it and the ball hit a bump and went in,” he said.
Both teams’ coaches noted a preference in their players’ performances in different halves of the match.
“Good result, really good first half,” Moriarty head coach Jordan Allcorn said, adding, “Pavel had a great game, he’s been a little banged up and he did a good job today.”
“We have three guys out so I was pleased with the effort,” East Mountain head coach John Larson said. “We played a much better second half, in my opinion the second half was a much closer game.”
The Pintos (3-6-1) play at Albuquerque’s Hope Christian Sept. 28; the T’Wolves (4-7) host Portales the same day.
