PEMBROKE — Marcos Ibarra scored a hat trick to lead the Purnell Swett boys soccer team past Seventy-First in a United-8 Conference home match Monday in Pembroke.
Ibarra scored or assisted on every goal scored by Purnell Swett (7-4, 2-3 United-8), with three goals and one assist.
Kevin Locklear assisted on two of Ibarra’s goals and also scored a goal.
The win ended a four-game losing streak for the Rams after the team won its first six games.
Seventy-First is 3-5-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the United-8.
Purnell Swett plays Wednesday at Douglas Byrd; the Rams will host Red Springs in the third-place match at the Robeson Cup on Saturday.
St. Pauls tops Pender behind Aguilar
St. Pauls’ Eric Aguilar also scored a hat trick as the Bulldogs earned a 7-2 nonconference win over Pender.
St. Pauls (6-3) scored three first-half goals, with Aguilar scoring his first off the rebound of a saved shot, and Gamaliel Silvan Cordova scoring the next two Bulldogs goals, the first off a Covin Gomez assist and the second on a penalty kick.
Gomez scored the Bulldogs’ first second-half goal off an Aguilar assist, then Christian Bravo scored off a Gomez assist with 28 minutes left, making it 5-0. After Pender’s first goal, Aguilar scored with nine minutes left for a 6-1 lead, and after Pender’s second goal the senior midfielder scored again with under two minutes to go to complete the hat trick.
St. Pauls does not play again before Saturday, when the Bulldogs will face Lumberton in the Robeson Cup championship match at Purnell Swett.
Lumberton dominates Douglas Byrd
The Lumberton boys soccer team exploded for a dozen goals as the Pirates earned a 12-3 home United-8 Conference win over Douglas Byrd Monday.
Lumberton (8-4, 4-0 United-8) took a 9-2 lead by halftime. The Pirates got two first-half goals each from Luis Aguilar and Joshua Badillo, with Robinhio Tanis, Ethan Stevens, Korbyn Walton, Angel Robles, and Brandon Rodriguez also each scoring goals within the first 40 minutes. Aguilar and Emilio Carerra each had assists; Aguilar’s two goals came on a free kick and a penalty and Stevens also scored on a penalty.
Porfirio Aquino, Dakoda Hunt and Robles each scored second-half goals, with Rodriguez earning an assists on the final Pirates goal.
Lumberton earned its 30th consecutive United-8 Conference win since the league’s formation in 2021.
Douglas Byrd is 0-4, both overall and in United-8 play.
Lumberton hosts West Bladen Tuesday in nonconference play before a United-8 match at Seventy-First on Wednesday.
Lumberton tennis defeats Jack Britt
The Lumberton girls tennis team earned a 5-4 road win over United-8 foe Jack Britt Monday in Fayetteville.
Lumberton (6-3, 6-2 United-8) won five of the six singles matches before the Buccaneers won all three in doubles. The Pirates’ Alyssa Stone beat Kelly Chay 6-0, 6-2; Logan Hickman topped Lauren Nazario 6-2, 1-6, 12-10; Shania Hunt defeated Ene Audu 6-3, 3-6, 10-5; Caroline Hall won against Lobecca Pomalas 6-0, 6-4; and Mackenzie Register beat Maya Rojas 6-1, 6-3. Jack Britt’s Sophie Pino defeated Josie Lawson 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles, the Buccaneers’ Chay/Nazario beat Stone/Hickman 8-3; Pino/Audu topped Carlee Register/Mackenzie Register 8-5; and Pomales/Rojas won 8-6 over Lameasha Love/Andrea Brown.
