Buffs outrun Ardmore in season debut

McAlester kept running past the back line on the way to big win.

The Buffs kept pushing the pace with long passes to lead teammates beyond the defense to put shots on goal Tuesday on the way to a 3-1 win against Ardmore at Hook Eales Stadium.

“We did very well,” Coach Ra’Shaud Buie said. “Our ball movement looked really good, our pressure was really good. I thought we dominated the game.”

McAlester (1-0) possessed the ball in its scoring end for a majority of the first half and found space for breaks at the goal.

But five offsides calls against the Buffs in the first half negated at least two goals from Jaime Carranza in the dominant performance.

“We had three goals and I know that we could’ve had more for sure,” Buie said. “All of those were tough, really, because I think most of them would have resulted at least in shots on goal.”

McAlester struck first midway through the opening half with Caleb Judkins finding Diego Espinoza for a goal inside the box.

The Buffs continued winning balls on the defensive end and at midfield to keep putting pressure on Ardmore and dominating possession.

“I think that the possession was good because we were able to control the pace of the game and how things flowed,” Buie said. “They never got the opportunity to dictate how things went.”

McAlester kept using pace with through-balls in the middle and out wide.

Carranza seemed to find space behind the defense for a goal twice before refs raised the flag for offside.

But the Buffs continued sending balls in through the rest of the game and would capitalize.

“That was something we were trying to exploit was in that area so that’s why we were able to find those gaps,” Buie said.

McAlester brought more of the same intensity after the break and pounded the box with crosses and through-balls.

A McAlester corner kick from Christian Fabian went through to Williams Alejandro, who headed it in for a goal and a two-goal lead midway through the second half.

Several minutes later, lobbed a free kick into the box that bounced off multiple people until John Norton nudged it in net to pull Ardmore within 2-1.

But McAlester answered a minute later with another through ball helping Cameron Giacomo getting behind the defense and chipping in a lofty shot for a 3-1 lead with 9:06 left to play.

Buie reiterated his team’s good form and said he hopes to keep the momentum rolling early in the season.

“We just got to keep doing what we did tonight and then if we can figure out how to kind of connect on those this final third balls on the end so we can get to some more goals we’ll be golden.

“Everything was really good tonight for an opening game except that kind of final production,” he added.