Picture Perfect: Arlington rallies to top Snohomish, 7:5

ARLINGTON, Wash.— Down 5:2 early in the second half the Arlington Aviators scored the final five goals of the match to claim a Premier Arena Soccer League triumph over their neighbors the Snohomish Skyhawks at Soccer First Indoor Sports. The first-year Aviators improve to 2-2 on the season while the Skyhawks dropped their second straight and are also now 2-2.

Around the PASL NW: See other scores from January 5th

Wilson Tsoi was at the match and shares a full gallery over at Facebook.com/goalWA.

The Aviators came out on fire scoring twice in the first three minutes.  The club supplied goalWA.net with a summary of their goals. Andrew Escalante played a cross from midfield to the back post, where Jeff Hidalgo tapped it in for the first Arlington goal. The Aviators’ second goal came from Tyler Werner off a ball played into the box.

No one’s happy as two Skyhawks (center, left) react along with a fallen Arlington player. (Wilson Tsoi)

Starting off the second quarter Jacobi Goodfellow got a straight two minute penalty. Snohomish controlled the whole quarter, taking the lead 4-2 by the end of the half.

The third quarter saw the Aviators on another two minute defensive power play. Snohomish took the lead 5-2.

“With about four minutes left in the 3rd quarter is when we started turning it around,” Aviator Andrew Escalante says. “Jacobi Goodfellow took a shot on goal which came off the wall and I followed it up to slot one past the keeper making it 5-3.”

With about two minutes left the Skyhawks faced an Arlington power play. The home side closed to within one when Jacobi Goodfellow played a ball towards the left side of the red line for Jeff Hidalgo to shoot the ball back post making it 5-4 after three quarters.

The two sides were level 5:5 with an own goal off Snohomish keeper’s back.  James Postma took a shot off the wall then it came off the keeper and in.

Newly recruited  Aviator Dana Garner (former SPU soccer player) scored the sixth goal, self assisted after stealing the ball from midfield. With about five minutes left the Aviators  were able to hold on and get back to full strength during a Skyhawks power play.

“During the final minute Snohomish put on a sixth attacker, putting even more pressure on us,” Escalante says. “Then with about  six seconds left I stole the ball off a bad pass from their sixth attacker, with nothing but open field and the ball at my feet, I dribbled  a little past half field and shot the ball into the wide open goal to finish the game off and cap an amazing comeback.”

Jeff Renslo (GK)  was back in goal for Arlington and helped the Aviators notch a fourth-quarter shutout. The result was a sort of payback for the opening match of the season when Arlington traveled to the Snohomish Soccer Dome and was drubbed 10:1 in their debut match.

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