U-12 All-Star team tourney tough

Mike Sciacca

Laguna Beach’s AYSO boys’ under-12 Division All-Star team capped a

successful run in postseason tournament action by posting a 2-1-1

record in Area 11-L All-Star pool play competition.

The first three weekends of pool play ended with Laguna in first

place.

They opened the tournament with a 6-0 clubbing of Laguna Niguel,

with keepers Cody Duplisea and Jaimie Melchoir combining in goal for

the shutout.

Max Radach, Logan Lozano and Gabe Stansbury each scored two goals

as Laguna executed a powerful, crisp-passing offensive attack on host

Laguna Niguel.

John Ross Palfreyman and Noah Michelon controlled the midfield,

and the defensive efforts of Graham Harris, Billy Darnell, Johnny

Alvarez and Roy Herbert keyed the shutout.

In its second game, Laguna jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead over

Rancho Santa Margarita, but saw their tournament rival rally in the

second half to a 2-2 tie.

But Laguna bounced back to rip Lake Forest, 4-0, in a match that

nearly didn’t take place.

Laguna arrived 45 minutes before the game only to find no opposing

team, no chalked lines and no goal posts. Just 15 minutes before the

scheduled start of the match, Lake Forest arrived and both teams set

up portable goal posts and chalked the field, which Laguna went on to

own during match play.

Dashel Plesa played outstanding center defense in replacement of

the injured Darnell. Taylor Parks, Rafael Vickers and J-man Anderson

controlled midfield play from their halfback positions, which allowed

Radach, Stansbury and Lozano to work their passing game into four

goals.

Laguna’s bid to reach the tournament’s final four ended in a 2-0

loss to Mission Viejo’s A team in a match in which Laguna had nearly

15 shots on goal to their opponent’s eight.

The teams were scoreless at the halftime break.

Final pool play standings had Laguna tied with Mission Viejo with

25 points, but Mission Viejo advanced to the final four by virtue of

its head-to-head victory over Laguna.

The Laguna Beach boys’ under-12 All-Star team was coached by Doug

Anderson, Mark Michelon and Russel Radach.