Laguna Beach All-Stars edge Aliso Viejo

Laguna Beach’s AYSO Division 5 boys’ All-Star team won an exciting

Area 11-L tournament game last weekend when Sam Stinnett scored a

late goal to lift the team to a 3-2 victory over host Aliso Viejo.

With just a few minutes left in regulation play, Laguna set up a

corner kick that went to Stinnett, who then smashed the ball into the

net to give Laguna the victory.

Laguna had taken an early 1-0 lead when mid-fielder Michael

Dougher scored. Aliso Viejo came back to tie the match on a penalty

kick goal.

Laguna forged a 2-1 lead in the second period when keeper Michael

Hyden came up with a save and delivered a kick to mid-field, where

Sam Witte controlled the ball.

Witte passed it to Stinnett, who fired the ball back. Witte then

knocked a left-foot kick into the goal.

Laguna dominated much of the first half, with Dougher, Nolan

McConnell, Austin Hilleman and Wilber Abarca controlling the

mid-field and providing Stinnett, Witte and Morgan Curry with

numerous scoring opportunities.

The Laguna defense also had a strong first half effort behind the

play of defenders Rouzbeh Kazemiah, Michael Kimball, Sawyer Pierce

and Travis Sampson.

Aliso Viejo did manage to tie the score at the half, 2-2.

With the victory, Laguna completed a successful All-Star

tournament run with victories over Aliso Viejo and Lake Forest and a

tie with Rancho Santa Margarita.

Their lone loss came to Mission Viejo.

In club soccer action:

Laguna Beach Soccer Club wins tourney

The boys’ under-12 Division team from the Laguna Beach Soccer Club

emerged last weekend as the champion of the Orange Coast United

Tournament.

Laguna’s first victory came from a forfeit from a no-show North

Irvine squad.

To keep the team motivated and give them a tuneup for a match

against North County Unite scheduled for later in the day last

Saturday, Laguna Coach Andy Thomas had his players scrimmage their

parents.

The youngsters bolted to a rather quick 4-1 lead, but the parents

rebounded to avoid a rout.

Laguna’s first win on the playing field was a 2-0 victory over

North County United. Caine Faire scored both goals, the first on a

header and the second after showing some dexterity with his left

foot.

The third tournament win was a comeback triumph. Laguna edged JUSA

Select Arsenal, 2-1, on Sunday.

Laguna fell behind, 1-0, but a header by Nikko Okamoto Coen off a

sharp corner kick by Michael Lewis just before halftime, allowed them

to forge a 1-1 tie at the break.

They scored the winning goal in the second half, and the defense

shutdown JUSA Select Arsenal for the remainder of the match.

The win put Laguna into a championship match against the San Juan

SC Saints on Sunday afternoon.

Laguna trailed, 1-0, at the half, but rallied in the second half

with a team effort and an offensive onslaught that saw Fair score the

first goal and Graham Harris and Tommy Hopper each post consecutive

goals before Fair completed the comeback with his second goal of the

match for a 4-1 victory.

Other members of the Laguna Beach squad are keeper Alex Germano,

fullbacks Alex “Flippy” Shusko and Jack Monroe, stopper Daniel

Selevan, sweeper Harrison Phelps, mid-fielders Bryce Healey, Graham

Harris, Brandon McCormick and Jasper Bower, and Noah Barker.