Pahrump Valley High School boys soccer

Under the lights in front of a packed home crowd, the Trojans boys soccer team wasted no time making noise Monday night against rival The Meadows — but momentum proved fleeting in a rollercoaster 3-2 loss.

Just seven minutes into the match, sophomore midfielder Randall Pangilinan sent the stands into a frenzy, burying a crisp through-ball from junior midfielder TC Hone to give the Trojans an early 1-0 advantage. It was a dream start — but it wouldn’t last as long as the Trojans wished for.

The Mustangs answered in kind, equalizing in the 17th minute with a composed finish from freshman Sacha Brochert that beat senior keeper Cayden Cowley. Just like that, it was game on.

“We really wanted to control the middle,” Trojans head coach Andrew Norton said postgame. “They hold two really strong midfielders, and we tried to match that — though we came in short-handed.”

And short-handed they were.

Already down one starter and missing another, the Trojans leaned on their midfielder Randall Pangilinan, who wasn’t done yet. In the 23rd minute, the sophomore turned play maker threaded a slick touch pass to sophomore midfielder Roberto Gonzalez, who slotted it home with precision to reclaim the lead, 2-1.

But the Meadows would strike back once again — this time with a deep rocket from the right wing in the 30th minute to level the score, 2-2, heading into halftime.

Then, disaster struck for the Trojans.

Injuries piled up fast as six players were sidelined over the course of the match, including multiple starters. A deep bench that had worn down Cristo Rey St. Viator just a week earlier was suddenly depleted.

“At that point, we’re just shuffling,” Norton admitted. “When you lose six starters and your next man up isn’t there, it’s a big ask.”

Despite Trojans players pleading to attempt to win back the game at a cost, Norton played it safe, holding them out to avoid long-term setbacks.

“A few of them tweaked some things and wanted back in,” Norton said. “But this early in the season, I’m not risking it.”

Still, the Trojans battled on hard through the second half but couldn’t muster any more offense.

The match stayed gridlocked well into the second half, with possession shifting back and forth pressing for the breakthrough. But in the 57th minute, The Meadows found it—a low strike that sneaked past a diving Cowley to seal the deal at 3-2.

Even in defeat, Norton saw positives.

“We had the better chances against a really good team. We controlled the midfield,” he said. “But we beat ourselves tonight. Two of their goals came off mental errors. Fix those, and we’re still a solid team.”

Virgin Valley

Thursday’s road game for the Trojans was not made up of ideal conditions.

Heading into the contest, lingering injuries from their prior contest against the Meadows and a two-and-a-half hour long bus ride to Mesquite were already working against the boys.

With a 4-0 loss to the Bulldogs, the Trojans record fell to 1-2 after a strong season opener against Cristo Rey St. Viator.

The Trojans are set to travel to Moapa Valley on Monday to take on a strong Pirates squad that leads the 3A Southern League.

Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.