The opening week of boys varsity soccer treated the Barons very well. The boys opened their season with a convincing home win against a beatable Calvary Chapel team 5-0. Calvary Chapel will most likely be the easiest game for the boys all year, and a victory was expected by the players as well as the coaching staff.
The dominance, however, is a good sign for the Barons early on in the season, the ability to put away bad teams will sometimes haunt a good team. The boys were able to finish an ample amount of goals and were able to stay spotless on the goals against sheet allowing few shots as well. Ethan Morrow (’12) had two goals on the night and led the offense. Ryan Brown (’13) and Joesph Lorenger (’14) shared the shutout. Every Varsity player had the opportunity to step on the field and contribute to the match.
Overall the game was a success for the boys and the coaching staff. The Barons opened the season well and set a positive tone for Friday’s game. On December 2nd, the Barons played Trabuco Hills in Mission Viejo. The game was the first good test for the boys, as the Mustangs were ranked 9th in the county in early preseason polls. The Barons played a very intense and physical game challenging every ball and winning challenges all over the field. Trabuco Hills proved to be a good physical test for the Barons but one the boys were able to match. The midfield play of Garret Stiffler (’13) and Spencer Brose (’14) was exceptional, they won virtually every ball and along with the defense were able to keep a clean sheet.
Although the Barons could not find the net, they played a very strong game and there was a determination and a fight all over the field. Coach Smith commented “the boys know they are not satisfied with this result, but they will be satisfied with the way they played.”
Week 1 was a great success for boys varsity soccer. They were able to put away an easy team, without any doubt, as well as contend all 80 minutes with a team that should fare very well this year. Next week the boys will take on Santa Ana high school who have done well early on, and will play in the Irvine Soccer tournament next weekend. The boys are now 1-0-1 with 0 goals against in 2 games.
