The senior booted four goals, including the game-winner with 1:23 left, to help the Rams captured a thrilling 5-4 match against conference rival Surry Central.
Starmount bolted to a 4-1 lead in the first half before the Eagles netted three shots in a 17-minute span after intermission to pull even. Lopez's game-clincher came off an assist from Michael Prigmore.
The results lifts the Rams to 2-1 in the Mountain Valley 2A and 5-3 overall. Surry Central, which has lost three straight since starting 6-0, dropped to 1-3 in the MVAC and 6-3 overall.
"We have still not played two halves of Starmount soccer, but we hung in their tonight and did not give up or hang our heads when they came back," Rams coach Dale Draughn said. "We knew that we had given away our lead and the boys just wanted this game really bad and they dug down deep."
Things clicked Starmount's way at the outset. Lopez earned his first goal seven minutes into the contest on a penalty kick after getting taken down in the box.
Lopez put the Rams ahead 2-0 with a goal off a Nate Benfield corner kick. Bernardo Leandro scored for Surry Central to cut into the Starmount advantage, but Pedro Morales answered back for the Rams at the 22:10 mark of the half.
Benfield had that assist as well.
Lopez reached hat-trick status with 10:39 left before halftime, converting a free kick sent into the heart of the Surry Central defense by his brother, Juan Lopez.
"We played an amazing first half, and it was a total team effort," Draughn said. "We did what we needed to do, but I never feel safe with a lead against Surry Central, and coach (Blake) Roth made the necessary adjustments and a couple of mental mistakes on defense and the Eagles are back in it."
The Eagles needed just four minutes of second-half play to pull within 4-2, getting a goal from Edwin Alonzo. Orlando Perez netted a shot for the Eagles six minutes after that. The game-tying goal came off the foot of Perez, assisted by Leandro.
"I made the change too late defensively," Draughn said. "I noticed the change (Roth) had made at the half sending more on the attack, but we did not react. Two mental mistakes led to easy goals for them.
"These are things that are correctable."
To make matters worse, Mauricio Lopez suffered an injury and had to come off for a time. That's when Draughn turned to one of the team's secret weapons.
"Luckily we have a massage therapist on staff, and she worked on (Lopez) and corrected the problem to where he was ready to go, and go he did."
Lopez's fourth goal of the game -- and 18th of the season -- proves huge to Starmount's conference standing. With Wednesday's win, the Rams stay within a game of Forbush, which leads the league at 3-0, and remain tied with Wilkes Central.
With only five teams playing soccer in the MVAC this season (North Wilkes and North Surry don't have teams), every conference contest is must-win.
"I told them Tuesday at the end of practice leave it all out on the field because you have the entire weekend to recover," Draughn said. "Our defense did a great job in the first half in keeping them off the board after the goal, and we recovered and finished the game solid for the win.
"Michael Prigmore, Eric Crowson, Steven Hemric, Jesus Aguilar, Pedro Morales and Oscar Hernandez did not fold. They could have easily, but that is not their way and it is not our way."
The JV Rams also won Wednesday, 3-1. Jose Adame, Matthew Tilley and Juan Morales had the Starmount goals.
Both Starmount teams will be in action at home Monday night. The JV Rams will host Bishop McGuinness, while the varsity club will entertain Alleghany of the Northwest 1A Conference.
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