GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Late game triumphs were the story for both Eastside soccer teams last Friday as they earned wins over East Forsyth on the road.

The Lady Eagles trailed through the majority of the girls game, but a pair of goals late from Joanna Funes did the trick to earn the 2-1 win.

In the boys game, it was truly a game of two halves that ultimately led to the game being decided on penalty kicks. When it went to penalties, the Eagles found a way to get the 4-3 win.

Funes delivers twice to earn win for Lady Eagles

Up until there was 22 minutes left in the match, the Eagles trailed 1-0 after they failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities early in the contest.

However, Funes changed all of that in the final 22 minutes of play.

After missing a chance in the minute prior, Funes got the ball and dribbled all the way from the halfway line past three Lady Broncos before putting the ball in the bottom right corner of the net.

Funes’ first goal of the game served as the equalizer to make it 1-1 with 20 more minutes left in regulation.

In the ensuing minutes, the Lady Eagles had multiple chances squandered inside the box.

However, Funes found a way.

With only two minutes left in the match, Funes intercepted the throw-in from East Forsyth and took the shot from well beyond the corner of the box.

The ball soared over the keeper’s head and into the corner of the net for the go-ahead goal with 2:06 left on the clock.

East Forsyth attempted to move the ball down and into the box but was unable to find any chances to tie the game.

Eastside’s defense kicked the ball out in the final seconds to secure the 2-1 region win on the road.

The lone goal from the Lady Broncos came late in the first half.

After multiple close calls from scorers such as Ava Brundidge and Jada Nganga, Isabella Foulke got past the Lady Eagles defense before putting the ball in the back of the net for the goal.

East Forsyth almost managed another goal immediately after, but #9’s shot was blocked before Foulke hit the post.

The win moved the Lady Eagles back to .500 with a 4-4 record on the season. Friday’s win was the first region victory of the year for Eastside’s girls team, who now sit at 1-2 in Region 8-AAAA play.

Next up for the Lady Eagles is a matchup against Cristo Rey Atlanta(0-4-1) at Sharp Stadium on Tuesday, March 18.

Eagles down Broncos on penalties to stay perfect in region play

Friday’s game between Eastside’s and East Forysth’s boys team went all the way to penalty kicks as the two squads stayed neck-and-neck through regulation.

Each half was dominated by a different team as the Eagles led 2-0 through the first half before East Forsyth tied it 2-2 going into overtime.

In the first half, Eastside’s Alexis Vieyra made the plays that built the lead.

After a slow 10 minutes to begin the match, Vieyra found himself with the ball just outside the box. Even with the distance away, the junior took his moment and capitalized.

Vieyra’s shot rocketed into the top right corner of the goal for a strong start for the Eagles on the road.

The two teams stayed close for most of the first half, but the Eagles found a way to have a little more chances near halftime.

With 12 minutes left, the Eagles missed out on a goal as a header from Hudson Harris was blocked by the Broncos’ keeper.

Three minutes later, Vieyra took another chance at a longshot — this one from 35 yards out — and his shot was blocked at just the right time.

With 1:36 left on the clock, the Eagles finally broke through on their second goal.

On a corner kick, Eastside’s Griffin Lane ran in for the perfectly timed header that gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage going into halftime.

When the game transitioned into the second half, the Broncos started to gain momentum and they did it right away.

In the opening minute of the second period, East Forsyth’s Johnathan Baltazer got past the Eagles’ defense before he put the ball past the keeper for the score.

Later in the half, Baltazer did it again with a goal from inside the box.

The two goals tied the game at 2-2.

After that, neither team managed to grab the edge for the remainder of the second half and even in overtime.

East Forysth had their chances in the overtime period, including a shot from Baltazar that just missed off the crossbar, but the Eastside defense did their job to keep it 2-2.

Because of that, the game ultimately transitioned into penalty kicks.

After going 1-1 in the first grouping, the Eagles converted their second penalty whilst saving East Forsyth's to end the game with a win.

The win is the eighth in a row for Eastside as they now sit at 8-1 on the season. In Region 8-AAAA play, the Eagles moved to 3-0 with three more region games on the slate.

Next up for the Eagles is a matchup with Cristo Rey Atlanta at Sharp Stadium on Tuesday, March 18.