Skyline soccer finished last week on a high note with a 2-1 win over No. 3 Hartnell College after it was down 1-0 until the 74th minute of the second half on Friday, Oct. 24.

Skyline freshman forward Ethan Jimenez Flamenco was the key to the comeback victory, scoring both of the team’s goals unassisted. He closed out the second half with the final goal, which came with only three minutes left in the game.

Flamenco said that he holds himself to a high standard as a player and that going into each game he expects to perform and score goals.

“I got to perform no matter what’s going on outside of soccer, what’s going on with my teammates or with coaches — I got to score,” Flamenco said. 

Skyline head coach Gabe Saucedo said Flamenco, not just in this game, but throughout this season has played a major role in the team’s success through his confidence.

“[Flamenco] is a player who has a lot of confidence. I think it rubs off on the other players and it shows on the field,” Saucedo said.

Saucedo also said that while the team was down for most of the game, even though the team was trailing for most of the game, it remained calm and confident.

“Our boys just brought a little more energy, they didn’t panic,” Saucedo said. “We have been down before and we were able to come back in other games, so I think they used that experience to give them confidence and win today.”

Skyline sophomore left winger Brayden Barbosa-Briones said that playoffs are a heavy focus for the team and that before the game, Saucedo emphasized the matchup was a must-win for the team — a message that strengthened his mindset about the need for success.

“This is it right here, this is a big game to win. We can get plenty of points [and] potentially a playoff spot…” Briones said.

Skyline will face off against Cañada College, the first-place team in the Coast-North Conference and undefeated in conference play, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Cañada.