Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School boys soccer team put together a strong second half to swipe a 3-0 home victory over Forest (Ocala) on Monday night at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium. 

Despite a scoreless first half, the opening 40 minutes of play were rather controlled by the visiting Wildcats (12-7-1), who held a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal and narrowly had a goal disallowed by way of a handball. 

The second half was all Buffalo (8-3), however, as VHS struck three times over the opening 20 minutes of the second half to flip the presumed result and earn a victory. 

Joel Hernandez got things started by collecting a deflected throw-in on the left edge of the box, before curling a rocketed shot into the upper-left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead. 

Just minutes later, Tanner Flynn made it 2-0 in favor of VHS, when he took advantage of Forest keeper Garrett Smith vacating his net. Flynn sprinted toward a scramble for a loose ball between Smith and Buffalo striker Michael Florian, with the ricochet finding Flynn's boot and ultimately ending up in the back of a wide-open net.

Florian would then record his team-leading 23rd goal of the season near the midway point of the second half, as he settled down a high pass with his foot and eventually headed home the bounce in mid-sprint for the 3-0 result. 

The victory on Monday night helped avenge an early-season loss for the Buffalo, who fell 1-0 to Forest back on Dec. 5 in Ocala. 

VHS will now look ahead to its regular-season finale, as the Buffalo host Belleview for a Senior Night contest at 7 p.m. from The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium.



Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.