Scoring a goal from about 45 yards out was the last thing on Isaac Pedraza’s mind when he lined up to take a free kick with 3:52 remaining in his team’s Friday night match.

But as his teammates started crowding the box in anticipation of receiving the free kick, the parent of one of his teammates encouraged Pedraza to take a shot at goal. Not many fans attended the Moon Valley High tournament semifinal match between Trevor Browne and Tempe High, so Pedraza easily recognized the voice.

They say teenagers can be easily influenced, but Pedraza can’t be blamed for following the orders of a non-coach in this situation. Besides, the midfielder was positioned closer to the stands where the few fans were sitting than his team’s bench.

After being persuaded to go for a potential game-winning goal, Pedraza sent a floater that eventually dipped down and hit the bottom of the cross bar before going in. The risk and parental advice paid off with a 2-1 victory over a Division II Tempe team that played toe-to-toe with Division I Trevor Browne in the second half.

Trevor Browne’s height and skill allowed it to control most of the first half and limited Tempe to just two shots in the first 48 minutes. But Tempe’s 16-year coach Steve Cihomsky’s teams don’t tend to quit.

Cihomsky’s squad started opening potential goal scoring lanes in the second half behind the play of No. 10 Sergio Vega and forward Jose Luis Soto. Leading 1-0 with 4:27 remaining in the match, Trevor Browne appeared ready to clinch its Saturday’s tournament championship berth against Sunnyslope.

But that’s when Tempe substitute Bryan Zaragosa sent a perfect through pass from distance to an open Jose Garcia, who just had to beat the goalkeeper to score the equalizer. But just 35 seconds later, Pedraza struck.

“It feels real good to score my first goal of the year that way,” Pedraza, a junior, said. “It sent us to the final. I was sort of shocked that I scored it.”

(Trevor Brown coach Jeffrey Scofield and Isaac Pedraza. Photo by Jose Garcia/aia365.com)

Pedraza’s teammate Pablo Ramirez also scored a long range goal.

But unlike Pedraza, Ramirez, a left back, had no intention of scoring. He just lofted a pass into the box that was mishandled by Tempe’s goalkeeper in 26^th minute.

Trevor Browne is 4-0 and off to its customary good start in the Moon Valley tournament.

“In the second half, they just dug deep,” said Cihomsky about his team. “We played with (Trevor Browne). I told our players that we played a Division I team. We can play with anybody.”

Tempe (3-2) finished third in the Moon Valley tournament.

Sunnyslope defeated Pinnacle 2-0 in the first Moon Valley tournament semifinal match Friday. Sunnyslope won just eight game two years ago and a loss to Trevor Browne last year helped keep Sunnyslope from reaching the playoffs.

A first half goal by freshman starter Tucker Fenton and a second half goal by Sebastian Arellano after receiving a pass from the midfield were all an experienced Sunnyslope team needed to advance to Saturday’s 4 p.m. final at Moon Valley.

“We have a really disciplined team that is also well mannered and has a bunch of hard workers,” Sunnyslope’s second-year coach Trent Otis said.