Anthony Velarde fights off a defender as he advances the ball during the U-15 Force’s regular-season finale. U-15 Force

Facing an undefeated team and trailing by two goals heading into the second half, the U-15 Force appeared destined for defeat.

But the Force refused to fall.

The Tri-County Cav 95 team jumped out to an early lead, but four minutes after the break Lampasas began making up for lost time as center midfielder Andrew Flores tapped in a goal off Alejandro Cadeno’s pass.

While the goal was executed on the pitch, it was set up during halftime.

Anthony Velarde and Adrian Velarde were repositioned to give the Force five players on offense, but, due to the duo’s speed and strength, the team did not lose much on defense as both could also assist on the opposite end of the pitch.

“I moved some fast, strong players to my outside mid positions because the Cav was getting back too quickly and overwhelming my three strikers,” head coach Jerry Barbero said of his halftime adjustments. “I also moved some more speed on defense to improve our [defensive] recovery. This combination seemed to do the trick.”

A U-15 Force player eyes a loose ball in front of the Tri- County Cav 95 team’s goal. The Force found the back of the net three times, but it was not enough and the match ended in a tie. Ten minutes after putting the Force on the board, Flores delivered an assist to center striker Jorge Gonzalez, who knotted the score at 2-2.

The teams went scoreless over the next 20 minutes until Flores intercepted a pass and blasted it past the Cav’s goalkeeper for the Force’s first lead of the match.

It would not last, though, as the Cav tallied the match’s final goal with four minutes left on the clock.

Goalkeeper Josh Barbero makes a leaping save for the U-15 Force. Despite failing to walk off the pitch with a win, Barbero was pleased with his team’s performance.

“This was our best-played game all season,” the coach said. “As they have done all season, the Force played hard even when they were behind in the score and never gave up.

“Every player gave 110 percent, and their record this season is testimony to their skill and determination.”

The Force finished the regular season with a 5-2-1 record and will play in the Harker Heights Invitational Tournament in early December.

U-11 Force

Needing a win or tie to extend their season, the U-11 Force came through in the clutch, defeating the T&C Sounders 3-2.

Fernando Gonzalez recorded three goals in the first half to give Lampasas a comfortable cushion.

Playing shorthanded, the Force began to suffer the sting of not having substitutions in the second half and lost their offensive momentum.

Perhaps more importantly, however, the squad’s defense gave up two goals, allowing the Sounders to pull within one goal.

But the Force (3-3) held on to their advantage and earned the victory, a third-place finish in the bracket and a trip to the Capitol Area Youth Soccer Association’s championship tournament.

Tri-City Express

The Express recently were shut out 3-0 by the Exodus Pumas.

U-13 Force

The U-13 Force’s lucky number must be six.

In each of their final two matches of the regular season, the Force posted six goals on the board and cruised to victory. The team shut out the NASA Crush 6-0 on the road before returning home to defeat the PAYSL Fireballs 6-1.

The consecutive wins give the Force a 7-3 record heading into the Pflugerville U-13 Invitational Tournament.