Brigade off to hot start

The Brigade, a boys Under-13 soccer team, recently launched its

1999-2000 league season with a pair of victories.

First, Brigade disposed of the Cerritos Panthers, a team

considered a strong contender for the league title, 5-2. They followed

that victory with a 3-1 win over the OJSC Elite of Orange.

Brigade kept Cerritos off-balance throughout the match and took

the lead five minutes into the game on a Jeremy Small goal off a Brandon

Plummer assist. Less than five minutes later, Plummer’s shot just inside

the 18-yard line gave Brigade a 2-0 edge.

Before the half, however, Kareem Khalil scored the knockout punch

as his goal upped the lead to 3-0 at the intermission.

Jarrid Johnston’s kick into the net, off an Adam Beavor corner

kick, gave Brigade a 4-1 cushion 15 minutes into the second half, and a

second corner kick gave Kevin Fronk the ability to volley his team’s

fifth goal into the net.

The play of goalkeeper Brendon Welch and defensemen Brad Smith,

Bryan Osuna, Steve Kalogeropoulos, Bryan McKendry, and Johnson

continually denied the Panthers, who in a previous match had knocked off

the third-ranked (Western Region) Pateodores, any offensive attack on

goal.

Brigade’s second league win came at the expense of the 20th-ranked

OJSC Elite of Orange.

Another quick start gave Brigade command early as David Sias’ shot

inside the 18 made it 1-0. Brigade, however, needed another Sias goal in

the second half to break a 1-1 tie. The defensive play of Smith helped

keep Elite at bay, and Khalil scored in the open field off a JP Smith

pass to make it a 3-1 final.

Brigade will play two matches this weekend, taking on North

Huntington Beach before tanking with the CUSC Cruz Azul.