Men's Soccer Clinch Nationals Berth With Victory

The Nelson Warriors' Men's Soccer team (7-6-3) capped their inaugural regular season by breaking the .500 mark for the first time in triumphant style, blanking the Bethesda Lion Angels 5-0 in a commanding shutout at the Christ Church of the Valley fields in Peoria, AZ, securing the West Region Championship and punching their ticket to Nationals in Florida from December 1-6.

Freshman phenom Pablo Pulido stole the show with his second consecutive hat trick, igniting the rout early with the game's opening goal unassisted, followed by his second tally, assisted by Christhian Olguin off a sharp pass, to build a quick cushion. Joemar Valenzuela kept the momentum surging, blasting in the third goal unassisted to stretch the lead further before Damian Yanez added the fourth, converting a sharp assist from Valenzuela. Recognizing history on the line, Pulido completed his brace-turned-hat-trick with the fifth and final strike, unassisted once more.

The Warriors' attack was relentless, peppering Bethesda with 17 shots on goal while their defense, bolstered by key saves from goalkeeper Roberto Bustamante, stifled the Lion Angels to just three attempts on the afternoon.

With the victory clinching the regional crown and an automatic bid to the national stage, Nelson's debut campaign ends on a high note, marking the club's fourth clean sheet in a season, fourth victory in-a-row, and seventh victory in their final eight matches as they have several weeks before they turn their attention to the ultimate challenge in Florida.

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