For Highlander soccer coach Tom Canino, the Howell Memorial Tournament was taking the good with the bad as the team won one and lost two matches in the two- day event this weekend at the South Valley Soccer Complex.

"(In the first game) they didn't play like a team and that was a big problem," Canino said of the 2-0 opening loss. "But it taught us something and while the kids were in great physical condition from working out in the off-season, we really needed more actual on the field practice."

Canino said the team is actually in a re-forming stage after having been thought of as a powerhouse recently.

"We started to pull together last year, but really don't have the depth we've had in past years," Canino said. "But we came out pretty strong on Saturday against Reno."

According to Canino, Reno had a big, physical team. The Highlanders were able to come back from a 1-0 defecit, scoring on a corner kick, as Cesar Bernal knocked in Ivan Franco's cross and scored again with an assist by Gabino Fragoso, taking the game 2-1.

"We really exerted a lot of pressure and it paid off for us," Canino said. "I was happy because this team showed a lot of character by coming back after trailing in the first half."

Against Galena, the Highlanders' Bernal scored early with an assist from Gabino, but then the team started to slow down according to Canino.

"We started to look a little flat," Canino said. "We really could've played better."

Although Galena missed a penalty kick, that ended up hitting the post, they were able to score a late goal, tying the game 1-1 at the end of regulation and forcing a shoot-out, that the Grizzlies won 5-4.

In the final match against Truckee, Canino emptied the bench, but to no avail as his tired team fell to the Wolverines 4-2.

"Because it was getting so late the game was shortened, but we gave up a goal in the first and sixth minutes before we scored on a corner kick from Franco to George Delgadillo," Canino said. "But they scored two goals within the first two minutes of the second half."

The Highlanders' Juan Herrera scored on a penalty kick late in the game, but it was too late as the Highlanders ended the tournament falling 4-2.

For Canino, the fact that his team scored last showed him something.

"It shows there's no quit in this team," Canino said. "And I honestly feel we have the players to be very competitive this year."

The Highlanders travel to Lowry for a Friday game beginning at 3 p.m.