Sunny Hills rallies to defeat shorthanded Fullerton

Sunny Hills’ Kevin Perez jumps to the ball as Fullerton’s Anthony Garcia follows during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Fullerton’s Leonardo Morales looks on as Sunny Hills’ Daniel Yo jumps to kick the ball away during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Albert Uriarte, left, and Fullerton’s Victor Dominguez chase down the ball during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Ricardo Sanchez heads the ball as Fullerton’s Fernando Rodriguez follows during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills players celebrate after they second their second goal against Fullerton during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Alex Montalvo and Fullerton’s Manuel Reyes, right, pursue the ball during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Aaron Gomez celebrates his team's goal against Fullerton during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Kevin Perez, left, and Fullerton’s Anthony Garcia battle for control of the ball during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Fullerton boys soccer fans watch their team play Sunny Hills during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.
Sunny Hills’ Amaury Maldonado, left, and Fullerton’s Sergio Medina pursue the ball during a Freeway League match Friday at Sunny Hills.

By Damian Dottore | ddottore@scng.com | Orange County Register

January 23, 2015 at 8:55 p.m.

FULLERTON – Guillermo Jimenez is the only goalkeeper the Fullerton boys soccer team carries on its roster, and 10 minutes into Friday’s Freeway League match at Sunny Hills, Jimenez smashed into the post while trying to make a diving save.

He left the game with a knot on the back of his head. So the Indians turned to Romario Villamil, who has never played anything but midfielder for Fullerton. He finished with eight saves.

However, Villamil couldn’t stop Daniel Yo’s header off Albert Uriarte’s corner kick in stoppage time, which delivered a 2-1 come-from-behind victory for the Lancers.

“He did an outstanding job for us today,” Fullerton coach George Shumaker said. “But they are a good team, and they deserved to win. Now they get to play us at our house and we will be a little more mentally and physically tough.”

Playing from behind has become a familiar position for the Lancers this season. And on Friday, thanks to a handball in the box, Sunny Hills trailed Fullerton, 1-0, in the 30th minute when Danny Alvarez drilled a penalty kick into the left side of the net.

It’s not the position the Lancers wanted to be in facing a league rival, but Sunny Hills coach Mike Schade said “it was a pleasure to watch their resolve and how they fought back.”

And in the final moments of stoppage time in the first half, Sunny Hills sophomore Roberto Tapia flicked in a throw from Yo to even the game at a goal apiece.

“That was huge because now you are approaching the players differently at halftime, and the adjustments you make are different. That was a gigantic goal,” Schade said. “But these guys don’t stop. It shows you the character of this group of players.”

In other boys soccer:

Fountain Valley 2, No. 5 Huntington Beach 1: Larry Turner scored his 12th goal of the season for the host Barons (8-4-3, 2-2-0) in the Sunset League victory.

No. 3 El Toro 1, No. 2 San Clemente 0: Daniel Parker finished with a goal and Macke Hutchins added seven saves to lead the host Chargers (8-0-6, 1-0-3) to a South Coast League triumph.

Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com