A Royal Soccer Split

 The 2020 home soccer season opened Tuesday night for the St. Louis Park Orioles soccer teams as they faced their former Classic Lake Conference rival the Hopkins Royals.  The boys team blasted the Royals 6-1 and the girls fell to Hopkins 7-1.  

Chalk up win number one for new St. Louis Park boys soccer head coach Anson Opara as Abdi Abdullabi scored four goals to lead the Orioles to a 6-1 rout of the Hopkins royals.  

The Orioles struck first early as Raul Sanchez Sandoval made a centering pass to Abdullabi and he fired it into the net 1:36 into the first half.  It would be the only goal of the half.  

St. Louis Park would go up by two in the second half as freshman Tylor Puentes scored on a penalty kick.  He almost had his second goal but it was disallowed due to an offside call.  Hopkins would cut the lead to one on Isaac Sanders left side goal.  It would be the only goal for the Royals since the Orioles would score four unanswered goals to put the game away.  The first three would come in a stretch of 2:15.  Puentes would score his second goal, then a ball the deflected off of Abdullabi entered the net.  He would score the Orioles final two goals, including the final goal where he got in front of the crease and rebounded Daniel Bevell's shot.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 1-1 and hosts the Eden Prairie Eagles on Thursday, September 1 at 7 PM.  Hopkins fell to 0-1 and will also return to action on the first as they host the St. Michael-Albertville Knights at 7 PM.  

Heading into the second game, it was Avery Petty and Charlotte Li who scored three goals apiece to lead the Hopkins Royals to a 7-1 drubbing of the St. Louis Park Orioles.  

The Royals ascended to the throne in the first half with four consecutive goals.  Two were scored by Petty and she would get credited for the assist on Charlotte Li's goal.  Abby Hoiska would also add to the Hopkins ledger :33 later.  

Hoiska would begin the second half scoring for the Royals to give them a five goal lead.  Petty would get the hat trick with 27:00 to go and Li would tally twice to wrap up the Royals scoring.  There would be no shut out for Hopkins that night as Maren Wilsey's left side shot would enter the net.  

Hopkins opened the season with a 1-0 record and hosts the St. Michael-Albertville Knights on Thursday, September 1 at 5 PM.  St. Louis Park fell to 0-2 and hosts the Minneapolis South Tigers, also on the first at 5 PM.