Freedom’s boys soccer team came out in full force for the Patriots’ season-opening victory against Stroudsburg, 3-2, on Aug. 28 at Freedom.

“I was very, very happy. It goes in the win column, and that’s what we want, so every game I preach to them just get a little bit better,” said Freedom coach Tyler Nolan.

The Patriots took a 3-0 lead into halftime on goals by Gino Tello Gonzalez, Marcus Brown, and Dominik Roszkawski.

Logan Shupp had the assist for Tello Gonzalez on his first career goal.

“It was a good start to the season,” Tello Gonzalez said. “I saw the ball coming to me, and I just took it and shot it.”

Brown’s goal was also the first of his career on an assist by Connor Blake.

“It was a surreal moment to score my first goal,” said Brown. “The ball hit the defender and fell right to my feet and went to the back of the net.”

Roszkawski’s second shot of the night found the back of the net on an assist by Logan Espinal.

“First half was awesome. First half was very, very good,” said Coach Nolan. “I would say the pinnacle of what we wanted to achieve in terms of organization, in terms of communication and working together as a unit. All the goals were created from that.”

Freedom goalie Micah Lawser had three saves in the first half, and the Pates were in control, but it was the Mountaineers who came out in full force in the second half.

“[At halftime] we talked about how the first half was played well and how fluently we played,” said Brown. “We had to manage the lead, and we didn’t do great in this game, but hopefully, we’ll do better in the future.”

A miscommunication between Brown and Lawser created a split-second distraction that allowed Angel Peraita-Torres to score for Stroudsburg in the 53rd minute.

“Micah had some phenomenal saves, and it stinks to get that, and credit to Stroudsburg,” said Nolan. “They’re a feisty team, and they played us the same way last year.”

Lawser had seven second-half saves, including a spectacular dive to his left with less than two minutes remaining in the match.

Lawser saved an earlier Stroudsburg attempt with his fingertips in the 65th minute, and Brown headed the ball out of the goal seconds later.

Luke Braido’s shot on a cross from Michael Deluhery in the 74th minute just missed the goal, but the Mountaineers found the back of the net in the last minute of play for the final goal of the match.

“We have some great individual talent on the team, but the focus is how can we get to that through a team shape? The boys did that really, really well tonight,” Nolan said. “Maybe made it a little more exciting than it needed to be in the second half. Just a mistake that you hate to see, but it’s one that happens, and they recovered well from it.”

Also on Aug. 28, Freedom’s girls soccer team defeated Stroudsburg on the road, 2-0.

Grace Burke and Anya Johns scored for the Patriots.

Bethlehem Catholic’s girls lost to Nazareth, 3-1, as did Bethlehem Catholic’s boys, 2-1.

Liberty’s boys defeated Pocono Mountain West, 4-0, and Liberty’s girls will have played West on Aug. 29, past Press deadlines.