Aviano’s Joseph Guerrero and Rota’s Zepplin Hasselbring battle for the ball Saturday, April 27, 2024, in the Saints 3-2 victory. Guerrero scored twice and Hasselbring once on the day. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

AVIANO, Italy – It looked like an all-too-familiar story for the Aviano Saints boys soccer squad.

After leading by a goal for most of Saturday’s contest with Rota, the Saints saw their lead evaporate via the foot of Zepplin Hasselbring with about 15 minutes left.

Aviano has seen more than its share of such late-match turnarounds in recent years. But juniors Joseph Guerrero and Xavier Fox decided it wasn’t going to happen again.

“Xavier and I had a conversation [after the tying goal],” Guerrero said. “It’s time to do something about it.”

The duo did just that about 10 minutes later, with Fox launching a long pass forward into a largely empty field and Guerrero outrunning everyone else to get it. He then rocketed the ball into the goal and the Saints came out on top 3-2.

“I saw everyone else slow down, so I just sped up,” Guerrero said of his late run.

“I don’t think [Rota’s defenders] saw him as he came from the blind side,” said Rota coach Jeff Furner, who told his team a few minutes after the game “a few less minutes and we would have had a tie.”

It’s been a less-than-ideal season for both teams so far. Rota was looking for its first victory in four attempts. Aviano entered the match having lost all seven of its contests. The Saints expected to have a strong roster this year, but two starters from a year ago decided to play baseball. Another is playing for an Italian club team. And a fourth isn’t playing spring sports.

“It’s been an interesting season,” coach Ian Birch said. “A rebuilding year, when we didn’t think it would be.”

Rota’s Christian Weaver and Aviano’s Kamdyn Moncur battle for the ball Saturday, April 27, 2024, in the Saints 3-2 victory over the Admirals in Aviano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Aviano juniors Joseph Guerrero, left, and Xavier Fox teamed up for all three goals Saturday, April 27, 2024, in the Saints 3-2 victory over Rota. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Aviano’s Joseph Guerrero outran everyone for the ball in the final minutes and scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Rota on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Guerrero missed the first two matches while recovering from a broken wrist that ended his basketball season. He and Fox combined for all three goals Saturday.

Rota’s Christian Weaver, making a rare start out of the goalkeeper’s box, scored his first goal just minutes into the contest on a breakaway, giving the Admirals a quick lead. But Fox tied it just minutes later, receiving a throw-in from the sidelines, getting past a Rota defender and sprinting towards the goal and booting it in before the Admirals knew what had hit them.

Just a few minutes later, he launched a ball from 40 yards out off a free kick that Guerrero headed in from the left side of the box and the Saints were up 2-1. It would stay that way until Hasselbring caught the Saints defense napping and booted in the ball from left to right and tied the contest.

Furner said he thinks his team is capable of knocking off a team or two in the season-ending championships.

“We’re better than our record reflects but have yet to demonstrate that,” he said.

As for the Saints, they travel to Naples and host Vicenza to end the regular season. Both teams handed Aviano lopsided losses earlier in the season.

“So we’ll see how long this euphoria holds up,” Birch said with a smile. “It’ll be a good test to see how far we’ve come.”

Rota’s Jourdan Timmons scored once for the Admirals and tried to get another one here in the second half in a 3-0 victory over the Aviano Saints on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Rota freshman Gracelyn Markowski tries to maintain control while defended by Aviano’s Lydia Plunkett, left, and Mayci Salmon in the Admirals’ 3-0 victory over the Saints on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Rota’s Madison Lewis sends the ball toward the Aviano goal before the Saints’ Abigail Desporte can get to her in the Admirals’ 3-0 victory Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Aviano goalkeeper Paige Rogers stops a Rota attack from Juliana Vollmer in the Admirals’ 3-0 victory Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Girls

Rota 3, Aviano 0: Sometimes numbers don’t tell the story in sports. But Rota’s advantage in shots on goal Saturday – 22-1 – summed it up fairly well.

Two sophomores and a freshman tallied goals for the Admirals in the first half. Aviano’s best scoring opportunity was a miskick by a defender that goalkeeper Pagie Rogers had to dive to keep out of her own goal. Rogers had nine saves and ventured out of the box to thwart several other Rota attempts to keep it from being worse.

“We’ve still got to work on the final third [of the field],” Saints coach Sarah Hartman said. “But they didn’t quit. At the end of the day, that’s all I can ask.”

Rota’s goals came from three players who had all played soccer in the States before arriving in Spain. Freshman Gracelyn Markowski was first, followed by Jourdan Timmons and Kate Warkentein. Markowski fired a shot that Rogers deflected, but not enough to keep it out of the net. Timmons got the ball in traffic on the left side and fired into the right corner of the net. And Warkentein got the ball past Rogers when the keeper came out to challenge her after the Rota forward had beaten a pair of Aviano defenders.

“I’m really happy with the way we played since we haven’t had a match in three weeks,” Rota coach Lilia Anderson said.

The Admirals (2-0-2) tied Vicenza 0-0 at home earlier this season. The Cougars and Naples have dominated girls Division II soccer in recent years. Is Rota ready to toss its name into the contender hat?

“We’re curious to see what’s going on with Vicenza and Naples,” Anderson said. “I think we have a shot.”