Soccer Game Preview: Torres vs. Hanford

The Torres Toros are taking a road trip to take on the Hanford Bullpups at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Torres' last eight contests have been decided by no more than a goal, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Torres is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They won by a goal and slipped past El Diamante 2-1. Given the Toros' advantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 234th, while the Miners are ranked 578th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ray Saldana was the driving force of Torres' attack as he scored both of Torres' goals, bringing his season total up to eight goals.

Meanwhile, Hanford came tearing into Friday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 2.7 goals), and they left with even more momentum. While the 0-0 score might suggest a draw, it was Hanford who was credited with the win. Hanford got it done in the shootout by posting three goals to Garces Memorial's two.

Hanford pushed their record up to 13-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 12 goals over those four matchups. As for Torres, their win bumped their record up to 7-8.

Torres took their victory against Hanford in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 5-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Torres since the squad won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.