Watch out, High Desert Soccer Conference foes: No. 3 Buhl has a new not-so-secret weapon.

After spending the first half of the fall season strictly running cross country, Spanish foreign exchange student Bertrand Garcia joined up with the soccer team as well. His second appearance for Buhl came on Saturday, and Garcia didn't disappoint.

Garcia scored a hat trick on his home debut to lead the Indians to a 4-1 win over Declo in the preliminary round of the HDSC tournament. It was a comfortable win in the end for Buhl, which allowed just three shots on goal.

Declo never really threatened the Buhl defense aside from Eric Henrickson's goal early on. It could have been even more one-sided were Declo's back five not up to the tall task of coping with an offense firing on all cylinders.

"We moved the ball a lot better today, and we played the kind of game that we're capable of playing," said Buhl coach Bill Fields. "Declo's defense was really solid, and their goalkeeper did a great job."

The first three goals came in the first seven minutes of the game. Garcia struck in the second and fifth minutes for Buhl, and Henrickson bagged the Hornets' only goal in the seventh when his in-swinging corner kick went untouched and curled just inside the far post.

Garcia polished off his hat trick in the second half, afterBruno Loza had made it 3-1 by latching onto a pass in the penalty area and smashing it home.

A formidable sprinter at home in Spain, Garcia used his speed to get through the Declo defense and posed a threat the entire game. Despite joining the team only recently, he looked the part of a player who had spent years in the program.

"In Spain I play track (in school), but I've played soccer all my life," said Garcia. "I wasn't really nervous out there."

The game began half an hour late after Declo encountered weather-related trouble on the drive to Buhl. Weather didn't play much of a factor in the game, despite the pitch being frosty and snow-dusted with temperatures sitting in the mid-30s. In fact, Buhl had prepared for the worst when it came to the weather.

"We brought the kids out last Saturday morning in the cold and the rain and had a full scrimmage, because we knew this was coming," Fields said. "After that scrimmage they were all sliding around in the mud and were really relaxed. That helped us prepare for the weather today."

Declo's season is over with the loss, while Buhl advances to the HDSC semifinal round. The Indians will travel to No. 2 Bliss on Monday.