Laguna ties up Lasers, 2-2, in boys soccer

At the halfway point of the 2004 season, the Laguna Beach Soccer Club

boys’ under-14 division team came up with a simple, yet meaningful,

goal for the remainder of the season: don’t lose a single game.

Well, two games into that stretch, they have defeated the

first-place team and recently, downed Corona del Mar, 2-1. The Irvine

Lasers came into town last weekend, looking to defeat Laguna for a

second time this season, confident they could do so, judging by their

3-1 win in first-round action.

But Laguna rose to the occasion and kept its vow intact, as it

rallied to tie the Lasers, 2-2.

It was Laguna’s Alex Germano who was first to threaten.

After receiving the ball, Germano slipped past two defenders and,

left with only the keeper to beat, but his shot struck high and over

the cross bar.

But Laguna continued to play solid soccer and was forcing corners,

which Caine Fair, Tommy Hopper and Michael Lewis creating excellent

scoring opportunities. The defense was solid as ever, with Noah

Michelon and Graham Harris sweeping up the Irvine attack.

Fair was “playing out of his skin,” coach Andy Thomas said, and

playing as a lone striker, he tirelessly worked to create scoring

chances.

With Laguna down a goal, Fair received the ball in the corner of

the field and drove a left foot cross into the penalty box that was

met by the flying Daniel Sellivan, who volleyed the ball past the

goalkeeper to tie the game at 1-1.

Laguna again found itself down a goal, 2-1, in the final minute of

the match, but Bryce Healey, playing the role of play maker the

entire match, got the ball to Germano.

Facing away from the goal, Germano spotted Fair on the run of Fair

going in behind him, and smartly back-heeled the ball to him. Fair

then smashed a left-foot shot past the Irvine goalkeeper to tie the

game 2 - 2 for Laguna.

“It was the least they deserved, as they played with such passion

and invention,” Thomas said of his team’s determination to come back

to tie the match.

In other soccer club action:

Under-11 Division

Laguna 1, Tustin United 1

Having lost, 1-0, to Tustin in first half of league play, Laguna

earned a tie in the second meeting between the teams.

Laguna scored first on a corner kick. Michael Kimball drove a

strong kick into the box, and Brian Vail was first to react,

deflecting the ball into the roof of Tustin’s net.

Ethan Cochran, Miguel Jaimes, Logan Warren and Zach LeBon would

not let Tustin United penetrate with its offensive attack a majority

of the match.

Austin Paxson was combining well with Michael Kimball, and the

attacking duo continued to threaten Tustin’s goal. Although Laguna

could not score again, victory appeared secure until Tustin scored on

a long distance goal that flew into the top corner, past the

outstretched arms of Laguna keeper, Christian Ochoa.

Under-10 Division

Laguna wins pair; sits in first-place

Two thrilling weekend victories have kept Laguna atop the division

standings.

First, Laguna turned back Laguna Niguel, 3-2, then followed with a

2-1 decision over San Juan United.

In defeating Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach took a 2-0 lead behind a

pair of goals by Joseph Rousseau. Laguna Niguel weren’t giving up

though, and surged back with two goals of its own, to tie the match.

The match was left to the scoring heroics of Rousseau, who capped

an outstanding individual performance by completing a hat trick with

his third goal, which decided the match with seven minutes to play.

In a battle with second-place San Juan United that would have a

bearing on who would occupy first-place, Reece Barton’s goal opened

up the scoring for Laguna.

After San Juan United had tied the score at 1-1, Rousseau again

would steal the show and provide the winning goal.

With the match looking as though it would play out to a tie,

Rousseau netted the winning goal and kept Laguna alone in first-place

in the standings.