St. Al coach Jason Hopkins was a ball of nerves, as the Flashes peppered Richland’s goalbox for no joy. But with 12:40 elapsed in the second half, Barrett Teller hit Blake Hudson with a perfect pass. Hudson poked it just past the keeper’s reach on the left post and St. Al had a lead.

Although Richland’s Joel Montoya tied the game with a goal later in the half, Hopkins was still pleased with the effort. The key was giving his guys some ownership. Hopkins backed off and allowed his team to have input on drawing up throw-ins and other strategic changes. The change has been apparent, as the Flashes are 1-1-1.

“Last year, that team beat us 4-1,” Hopkins said. “I’ve given our guys a lot more responsibility and I think we’re a lot better for it.”

Also helping matters is that Hopkins has a strong core of veterans like Blake Hudson, Carlton Campbell and Barrett Teller, mixed in with newcomers like Zane Russell.