The Las Vegas Lights and Colorado Springs Switchbacks played to a back-and-forth 3-3 draw at Cashman Field in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Joe Hafferty, Khori Bennett and Valentin Noël scored for the Lights, while Quenzi Huerman, Jairo Henríquez and Ronaldo Damus tallied for the visitors.
The Switchbacks opened the scoring inside six minutes when high pressure forced the Lights into a turnover right outside their 18-yard box. Devon Williams won the ball and set up Huerman, who fired home a left-footed strike that beat goalkeeper Nicholas Ammeter.
Las Vegas had a chance to equalize in the 12th minute when Shawn Smart unleashed a shot from distance that goalkeeper Christian Herrera punched over the crossbar.
Bennett very nearly tied the match in the 26th minute when he zig-zagged in the box and got a shot underneath Herrera that hit the near post and went along the goal line.
Two minutes later, Hafferty scored the equalizer when he got on the end of a brilliant bit of skill by Christian Pinzón. He beat his defender on the left side of the box and picked out Bennett, who got a deflected touch on it before it found Hafferty, who redirected his shot past Herrera.
The Switchbacks regained the lead in the 31st minute when Henríquez picked up a turnover at midfield, drove down the pitch and fired a shot from distance that found the back of the net.
Maliek Howell almost leveled the match again in the 41st minute when he rose for a header at the back post, but his effort missed just wide.
The Lights earned a penalty in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Bennett’s header hit the arm of Huerman. Bennett stepped up and scored from the spot to record his third goal of the campaign on the brink of halftime.
Las Vegas almost took the lead in the 76th minute when Ngando got into the teeth of the Switchbacks defense and picked out Solomon Asante from a few yards out, but Asante’s shot was blocked by Duke Lacroix and bounced away to safety.
The Lights took the lead in the 80th minute when Noël tapped in his seventh goal of the season. Coleman Gannon had the ball on the right side and cut inside for a shot that Herrera dove to his right and pushed away. The rebound fell to Asante, who one-timed a beautiful square pass to Noël, who finished into an empty net.
Gennaro Nigro almost gave Las Vegas some insurance in the 86th minute when his shot from the left side of the box just skipped past the far post.
The Switchbacks scored an equalizer of their own in the 89th minute when a short corner routine saw Koa Santos cross a ball to the far post that Damus headed home.
Gannon almost found a winner at the death when his shot at the edge of the box forced Herrera into a diving stop.
The Lights will return to Cashman Field on Saturday for a clash against fellow Western Conference side Memphis 901 FC (7:30 p.m. PT | TICKETS) before finishing their three-match homestand on June 29 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (7:30 p.m. PT | TICKETS).
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Lights resiliency
Las Vegas twice came from behind to get back to level pegging against the Switchbacks before finding the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes to go but were unable to see it out.
Tough to beat
The Lights are now unbeaten six of their last seven matches. They now sit just one point out of a playoff position with 17 points from 16 matches.
Noël bags another
Noël continues his fantastic first season in Las Vegas with his seventh goal of the USL Championship season. He is now sixth in the league in goals scored.
SCORING SUMMARY
COS – Quenzi Huerman 6’ (Assist: Devon Williams)
LV – Joe Hafferty 28’ (Assist: Khori Bennett)
COS – Jairo Henríquez 31’
LV – Khori Bennett 45’+4’ (penalty)
LV – Valentin Noël 80’ (Assist: Solomon Asante)
COS – Ronaldo Damus 89’ (Assist: Koa Santos)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
COS – Koa Santos 8’ (caution)
COS – Quenzi Huerman 22’ (caution)
COS – Duke Lacroix 53’ (caution)
LV – Maliek Howell 82’ (caution)
COS – Technical Area 87’ (caution)
LINEUPS AND STATS
Las Vegas Lights FC – Nicholas Ammeter; Shawn Smart (Emrah Klimenta 55’), Joe Hafferty, Maliek Howell, Gennaro Nigro; Coleman Gannon, Valentin Nöel, J.C. Ngando (Fabien Garcia 84’), Christian Pinzón (Solomon Asante 46’); Edison Azcona (Dre Fortune 55’), Khori Bennett (Charlie Adams 72’)
Substitutes not used: Raiko Arozarena, Hayden Sargis, All Gue, Zander Romero
Total shots: 16
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 12
Corner kicks: 11
Offside: 2
Saves: 1
Colorado Springs Switchbacks – Christian Herrera; Koa Santos, Duke Lacroix, Matt Mahoney, Delentz Pierre; Devon Williams, Quenzi Huerman (Maalique Foster 62’), Jairo Henríquez (Ronaldo Damus 62’), Aidan Rocha, Jonas Fjeldberg (Yosuke Hanya 70’); Juan Tejada (Matt Real 84’)
Substitutes not used: Luis Zamudio, Wahab Ackwei, Zach Zandi
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 17
Corner kicks: 6
Offside: 1
Saves: 3
