LAS VEGAS – Sammy Ochoa scored his first two goals for Las Vegas Lights FC as the side took a 4-2 victory against the Premier Development League’s FC Tucson on Wednesday night at UNLV's Peter Johann Soccer Field to advance to the Third Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Lights FC will visit another PDL side next Wednesday night as it squares off with FC Golden State Force for a place in the Fourth Round at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif.

“This is something positive, because we've been doing well and not getting the results we wanted,” Lights FC midfielder Carlos Alvarez said. “Now, we got the result, we have to build from it and keep them coming.”

Alvarez got things going quickly for Lights FC in its Open Cup debut as he put home the opening goal in just the fifth minute off a cross by Matt Thomas. Four minutes later Alvarez added an assist as his free kick found Marcelo Alatorre for his first goal in a Lights FC uniform on a powerful header that appeared to put the USL side in control of the contest.

Tucson found its feet, however, and pulled a goal back before halftime through pacey forward Jason Romero, who pulled a goal back six minutes before the halftime break. Then three minutes into the second half, Romero played provider as his cross was put home by AJ Valenzuela to level the score.

Lights FC regained control in the 56th minute, however, as Ochoa finally broke through after a frustrating scoring drought that had lingered since the start of the season when he headed home a cross by Alatorre. A mass celebration by Lights FC players followed Ochoa’s breakthrough that ended a recent run of near misses.

“It felt good,” Ochoa said. “I've been doing the right things every game. This time, I got the ball in the right spot and scored. Hopefully from here on out, I just keep scoring.”

Ochoa added his second just past the hour-mark off an assist by Daigo Kobayashi, and this time Lights FC wouldn’t let its two-goal lead slip. The hosts nearly added another pair of goals in the final 20 minutes, including a remarkable effort off a free kick by goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño who rang the crossbar with a free kick in the 90th minute after coming upfield to take on the set piece.

While that effort didn’t find the back of the net, Las Vegas’ best attacking night of the season gave the side a big boost of confidence before a pair of big games in both the league on Saturday night against Real Monarchs SLC and the Open Cup in the next seven days.

“It was just the positive vibe, getting those four goals,” Alvarez said. “We're going into Saturday now with a positive mindset and a great energy. Hopefully we can get another win.”