Hamilton and Highland brought similar resumes to the pitch to start the new year Monday night and kick off the most important half of the boys soccer regular season -- power-ranking matches in earnest.

Two goals by Hamilton's Josh Drack proved decisive along with some help from goalie Alex Deahr as the Huskies edged Highland, 2-1, in a Division I match at Highland High.

Drack scored in the 12th minute and 79th minute, the latter supplying a needed insurance goal as Highland tallied with .3 of a second to play. One might say Highland's goal made the final score closer than it seemed, but Highland was up to the task in trying to hand Hamilton its first loss to an Arizona school this season.

Hamilton improved to 10-1-2 overall and 4-0-1 in power-ranking matches. The Huskies finished 6-1-1 in two invitationals, including winning the Arizona Showcase it hosted last week. HIghland fell to 7-2, 3-1 prm. The Hawks won the Coyote Classic the middle of last month (4-1).

Highland was the better attacking team, but good defense for the most part in the back and a couple huge saves by Deahr sent Hamilton home with the win. Drack's first goal caught Highland somewhat offguard. Some 35 yards out, Drack punched initially what looked to be a ball of no consequence. But Highland keeper Jacob Faircloth was positioned a little too high in the box and Drack's shot sailed over him and bounded into the net.

At that point Highland had already pressured Hamilton's defense, working for five corner kicks. A few other chances went by the wayside in the half, but one in the final minute of the half was knocked away by a great reaction by Deahr.

Highland continued to fire away early in the second half with no goal to show for its effort. The best chance came five minutes into the half when Hamilton was called for a foul in the box. Highland's Chris Boyd was selected to take the penalty kick, but Deahr lunged to his left for the deflection to deny Boyd.

Drack's second goal with just more than a minute left came off a deflection that Faircloth had no chance to repel. Highland averted a shutout with Raphaello Colasito scoring in the box off an assist from Donovan Cameron.

"They (Highland) came in with a good plan and stuck with it," Hamilton coach Nick Markette said. "We had a let down there the last minute after Drack's second goal. HIs first goal was an alert play on his part. He looked and saw where their keeper was and gave it a shot. He's won of the top players in the state. He had a hat trick in the final of the Showcase."

Markette said Deahr has been superb in goal, particularly on penalty kicks. Deahr has repelled four of seven attempts against him thus far.