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WAVERLY, Iowa – Sometimes a tie is a tie, and sometimes a tie is a loss. At other times, a tie feels as close to a win as an actual win itself. This was the case for the Decorah Boys Soccer Team at the Waverly Tournament on Saturday, May 10, as they played an afternoon game under relentless heat and sunshine against a skilled Hampton-Dumont-CAL soccer team. After H-D-CAL went up 3-0 in the first half, the Vikings didn't fold. Instead, they mounted an impressive comeback that resulted in a 3-3 tie. Pacing H-D-CAL in the first half was senior forward Fernando Mota, who scored an impressive two goals. Mota got a little help from fellow senior Gabriel Munguia, who assisted on one of the goals and also scored one himself. But Decorah's stamina and efficiency in the second half became its greatest strength. Led by junior forward Will Larson who—not to be outplayed by Mota—decided two goals in a half was good, but a hat trick is a much better option, always. Larson has been playing well all season, aggressively pursuing the ball, hungry for goals, and his tenaciousness on Saturday was rewarded. For the game, Decorah got eleven shots off (five on goal) and three found the back of the net. Freshman Oak Pasche put one shot on goal, and junior Oliver Bollinger put one shot on goal and assisted on one of Larson's goals. In their first match of the day, the Decorah Boys played Garner-Hayfield-Ventura and were in control for the entire match, winning 8-1. Larson, Bollinger, along with juniors Riley Berns, Ian Giddings, and Noah Milburn all scored one goal apiece, while junior Liam Huang put two in the back of the net. Huang also assisted on a goal, as did Pasche, Milburn, sophomores Sawyer Courtney and Gavin Luzum, and freshman Brayan Ortiz Gonzalez. The six assists on eight goals are a testament to the team's crisp passing, especially around the attacking third of the field. The ball pinged off Viking feet, leaving G-H-V reeling, wondering which way to turn, before a Decorah player smacked the ball into the back of the net. The Decorah Boys are playing solid team soccer as they inch closer to regional action. Their final regular season matchup is Thursday, May 15, when they travel to Denver for a 7 p.m. match. Their first sub-state game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20. Time/Location TBD. More info and stats on the Waverly tournament.

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Three Goals Down, Three Goals Up: Decorah's Comeback in Waverly