Daily Pilot Cup: Short and Tall, St. John’s finds way to win

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The St. John’s boys third- and fourth-grade soccer

team used its different sizes to eke out a 2-1 victory over Kaiser’s No.

2 squad Friday at The Farm Complex in pool play action of the Daily Pilot

Cup.

Trailing, 1-0, St. John’s evened the score when the tallest player in

the game, Ryan Thompson (5-feet), found the net on a breakaway. He banged

a shot in from about 15 yards out.

Then, with less than two minutes remaining, Calvin Tran (about 4-4),

the shortest player of all the athletes, controlled a loose ball and

blasted the ball into the net.

“This is going to be a heartbreaker for one of us,” St. Johns Coach

Jennifer Crosson said at halftime when the teams were scoreless.

Kaiser’s Gunner Everett scored the game’s first goal when he got ahead

of the pack and his shot found an opening in the bottom right corner of

the net. It appeared that Kaiser possessed the momentum, but Tran’s

energetic efforts seemed to enliven his teammates.

He scored a goal to tie the game, but it was nullified because St.

John’s had too many players on the field. Regardless, the play gave St.

John’s the confidence it needed.

“They were a little more excited to play today,” Crosson said of her

players whom lost a 3-1 game to Eastbluff on Thursday.

Chad Plock, Gregory Vinson, Joshua Smith, Jonathan Truong and Angel

Beas overcame that losing feeling by playing as a team. Michael and Peter

Nguyen, Chris Parten, Max Visbeck, Andrew Roth, Christian Duque and Kevin

Lejr also contributed in rebounding over Thursday’s loss and responding

from a 1-0 deficit.

Kaiser, coached by Leisha Mello, held St. John’s scoreless in the

first half. Garrett Pickard, Nelson Oporto and Simon Hebrick led the

defensive charge. Everett nearly scored before halftime. He raced out on

a breakaway and found an open shot, but the ball sailed over the net.

In the second half, Kaiser began to attack its opponent’s net. Matt

Mello, J.P. Miller, Santiago Casteneda and Spencer Martinez maintained

the attack. But, St. John’s answered with its defensive hustle.

Meanwhile, Mariner’s Christian defeated Newport Elementary 8-0. Chase

Nugent scored three goals and had two assists for Gene Rhodes’ Mariner’s

Christian squad. Austin Webster tallied two goals, while Reed Russell,

Taylor McSuans, J.D. Root and Drew Byars scored one each. Michael Gillis

and Jason Jacobi had an assist each and Brian Choi contributed with a

solid defensive presence. For Newport Elementary Spencer Baratto and

Victor Done shared goalkeeping duties and “did a good job,” Coach Beckie

Burns said. Brody Viloria used an all-around game and Zach Ofadche

created breakaways to provide some shots for Newport Elementary, while

Peter Kinney and Jared Pasquarella sparked the defense to prevent more

scoring.