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Pride boys soccer advances to second round
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The Pride celebrate after scoring a goal during Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Lincoln of Stockton in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I playoffs (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

Tuesday afternoon was a good one for the Pitman High varsity boys soccer team after they shutout Lincoln of Stockton in the first round of the Division-I Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs with a 6-0 win from home to advance to the quarterfinal round.

“We have a lot of confidence right now. They are finishing the ball really well right now and it was just a good game overall to start off the playoffs,” said Pitman head coach Brian Hofsteen. “I would say we are pretty much there and feel good, the best thing is we are finishing well since it was something we lacked during the year.”

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Felipe Lopez of Pitman High notched two goals and tallied three assists in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Lincoln of Stockton in the first round of the Division-I Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

The Pride have now won eight straight, including four clean sheets during that timeframe.

Their overall record improves to 18-2 while they have notched three goals or more in the past five games.

In the last five contests, the Pride have outscored opponents 26-7.

“Coming off the last game against Turlock helped a lot, you just want to get to the final,” said Hofsteen.

The Pride not only managed to play everyone, they dominated the game from the start.

From there, it was the start of a scoring frenzy when in the 13th minute Jarod Solario found the back of the net off a Felipe Lopez cross outside of the goalie’s box, where he crossed the ball to the opposite side and Solario pushed the ball for a score at 1-0.

At the 26th, Daniel Galdamez found the back of the net from 10 yards out to make it 2-0 then Daniel Borges extended the lead to 3-0 after he scored off a Lopez assist from about 12-yards out.

In the 48th, Lopez scored his first of two after he drilled a left-footed volley from 14 yards away to make it 4-0.

At the 67th, Luis Robles scored for the Pride after a Lopez through pass.

Lopez closed it out with a rocket shot goal from 19 yards away as the final score read 6-0.

“Felipe is playing at the top of his game and he is starting to really come around,” said Hofsteen. “He is a great player and seeing him to play like this, and some of the other players like Galdamez, Borges and the back-line is playing solid, can’t say enough about those guys right there. It was nice being able to play everyone.”

Pitman advances to the second round of the D-I SJS playoffs to take on the winner of Sheldon and Oak Ridge game at a time yet to be determined on Thursday.