The best two chances for the Mineola soccer side last Tuesday in Van came early. 

A scorching drive off the left foot of captain Jonathan Ledesma in the 15th minute was saved by the Vandal keeper. In the 23rd minute a ball over the top just evaded the outstretched toe of Eduardo Zavala. Mineola fell to Van 3-0 on a foggy, cool night at Van Memorial Stadium. 

The foggy conditions seemed to cast a spell of ‘heavy touch’ syndrome on the Yellowjackets, as their passing repeatedly missed intended targets by small margins all night. 

The Vandals, as expected, came out energized on their home turf. They used a swarming midfield and repeated attacks up the left flank to put shots on goal throughout the first half. 

Mineola keeper David Reyes held fast until the 37th minute, when a low corner kick caught a deflection in front of goal and careened into the side netting. Van took a 1-0 lead into the half. 

The Jackets generated three more scoring opportunities as the first half drew to a close.

Two Vandal handballs gave Mineola free kicks in excellent attacking positions about 35 meters out. 

Jacket defender Noah Turner launched the first attempt which was deflected wide of goal for a corner.

The ensuing short corner was defended away by Van. 

Three minutes later, Ledesma had a free kick opportunity from 20 meters. The shot was saved and then spilled behind for a Mineola corner. Van foiled the corner. 

The Jackets also attempted to get the ball to Fernal Ventura down the flanks in the later stages of the first half, but the passes ahead narrowly missed their targets.

Earlier in the half, a nice sequence off of a Giovanni Campuzano throw-in at midfield saw the ball go to Zavala and over the top to Mario Bautista. The pass was just out of reach.

Neither side demonstrated much fluidity in play in the second half. Reyes continued his strong play in goal, executing a nice punch-out of a centering kick from a corner in the 48th minute.  

Van managed two late goals, in the 60th and 62nd minutes.

The first came when they got behind the Mineola defense, and the second came off of a centering pass from the left wing.

In the closing minutes, Turner nearly got the Yellowjackets on the scorecard. He took a beautiful corner kick from the northwest corner of the end zone which just missed curling into the upper, far corner of goal.        

The Jackets are 1-2 in district play, having opened with a win over Brownsboro and a loss against Cumberland. After hosting Athens and traveling to Grand Saline for their next two matches, the Jackets will be at Meredith Memorial Stadium Friday versus Bullard.