Sunset sweeps senior all-star matches

Palo Verde’s Matt Polster puts a lot of faith in his soccer abilities. So much so, he isn’t afraid to take a shot with his eyes closed.

Polster had two goals and Panthers teammate Matej Kustura added two more as the Sunset Region cruised past the Sunrise Region 5-1 in the Green Valley Rotary Club’s Southern Nevada Senior All-Star Match at UNLV.

Polster scored the opening goal off a cross from Spring Valley’s Seth McGinn in the 12th minute and then, less than a minute later, ripped a blast into the top left corner to give the Sunset Region all the scoring it would need.

“I dropped off, got the ball, closed my eyes and let it rip,” Polster said of his second goal.

Bishop Gorman’s Shane Thompson scored in the 17th minute and the Sunset Region led 3-0 at halftime.

Silverado’s Chase Leaders scored the Sunrise Region’s lone goal 12 minutes into the second half after Foothill’s Christian Volesky took a long defensive clearance on the left side and made a smooth pass inside the box to Leaders.

Kustura then netted his two goals, including a rocket with eight minutes to play that was tipped by Del Sol’s Gerardo Mendoza — one of four Sunrise goalkeepers to see action — but sailed inches under the crossbar and into the bottom left corner.

Sunset Region 7, Sunrise Region 0 — Centennial’s Bethanie Skelton notched three goals and Desert Oasis’ Phonsavon Phanthip had two as the Sunset Region routed the Sunrise Region.

Arbor View’s Tayler Alston opened the scoring in the fifth minute, taking a cross from Aggies teammate Taylor Bonetti and sliding it past Eldorado goalkeeper Chynna Hartmann.

Palo Verde’s Kainoa Becker also had a goal, and Bonetti recorded two assists.

Skelton finished the scoring 22 minutes after the half on a right-side fast break.

Bishop Gorman’s Kaylee Vitale made four saves in the shutout.

Bonetti and Arbor View’s Leslie Rodriguez also spent time in goal for the Sunset Region.