Gators top Roadrunners on controversial goal

A slow game suddenly turned wild in the final 10 minutes Tuesday as scoring and tempers exploded between Green Valley and Tech.

The Gators’ Andrew Buendia scored a controversial goal on a free kick from about 25 yards out with less than a minute remaining to give Green Valley a 2-1 victory over the host Roadrunners.

The game came to a brief stop after the goal as a host of Tech players began following and arguing with the referee, contending that Roadrunners keeper Abdel Rodriguez was fouled as the free kick tipped off the top of his fingers and into the net.

The victory gave the Gators (8-0-1, 3-0-0) an early edge over Tech (3-2-1, 3-1-0) in the Southeast League race.

After tying Tech twice last season, Gators coach Roy Snyder wanted his team to stake an early claim against the Roadrunners this year.

“We really wanted this,” Snyder said. “It was kind of a statement game for us. We really wanted to prove we could go on the road and win.”

Buendia’s goal capped a scoring flourish between the teams after a quiet first 70 minutes that produced few scoring chances. Tech controlled the play for much of the game, appearing more aggressive to the ball and drawing more foul calls as it kept play in the Gators’ end of the field.

Green Valley struck first on a gorgeous goal by Alejandro Pacheco with about 10 minutes to play. A Gators cross from the left side of the penalty area deflected to the middle of the field 35 yards from the goal, where Pacheco came forward from his defensive position to rip a low line drive to the bottom right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“It’s a shot he works on, a shot we work on all the time in practice,” Snyder said.

Tech answered Pacheco’s goal in just 30 seconds when Eddie Lopez headed home a beautiful cross over the punch attempt of Gators keeper Andrew Hendrickson.