North Thurston senior Leonardo Cortez netted a goal and notched an assist in the Rams’ 2-0 victory at Mount Tahoma Tuesday night.
Cortez assisted junior Ayden Valdez on a goal in the 50th minute to put North Thurston on the board following a scoreless first half. He gave the Rams a 2-0 lead with the last kick of the match, scoring in the 80th minute.
Cortez’s goal was an insurance score rather than a game-winner because freshman goalkeeper Jonny Cook made a point-blank save with five minutes to keep the game at 1-0. North Thurston recorded 11 shots to Mount Tahoma's six.
“Mount Tahoma is a well-coached team with a clear game plan. We came into the match with better focus and really ramped up the intensity in the second half,” North Thurston coach Tristan Glazer said. “I thought we did a very nice job creating opportunities with our press, as well as defending as a unit.”
Glazer also highlighted the defensive effort of sophomores Easton Sexton and Walther Elbert.
North Thurston (3-0-3) will host one final non-league game against Silas Thursday night before Puget Sound League action begins March 31 at Capital.
