By Justin Hsieh & Karen Phan
Earlier today, the boys’ varsity soccer team played the Mater Dei High School Monarchs in the first round of the Division 1 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section playoffs. In a high-energy game that tested the Barons’ defense, the boys fell short of their CIF aspirations with a score of 1-6.
The game opened with both teams frantically fighting for possession. After about five minutes, the Monarchs secured the ball and began their domination by taking multiple shots on goal. Fountain Valley managed to crack down on Mater Dei’s defense in the 10th minute with junior Sebastian Rus taking a shot on goal that narrowly missed the Monarch’s net. Mater Dei responded with aggressive offensive pressure and forced Fountain Valley to play defensively for most of the half.
Although the Monarchs continued to dominate the Barons after Rus’ shot, Mater Dei struggled to penetrate Fountain Valley’s defense and failed to follow through with their opportunities to score. In the 24th minute, however, Mater Dei managed to score their first goal during a corner kick. The Monarchs quickly scored a second goal to lead the Barons 0-2.
Both teams played with increased energy after the first two goals of the game. Fountain Valley generated solid offensive pressure and Rus put the Barons on the board after scoring on a penalty kick in the 35th minute. Mater Dei scored its third goal two minutes later and remained in control as the game progressed. Senior Dakota Whitsel made a final effort to score by taking a shot on goal before the half ended with the Barons trailing the Monarchs 1-3.
While the second half opened with a broader range of movement up and downfield, and the Barons and Monarchs traded possession more frequently, Mater Dei retained the edge and spent more time on the offensive than Fountain Valley. Rus, Whitsel and senior Tyler Le managed several drives toward the Monarchs’ net but were generally repelled before the Barons could get close enough to score.
For most of the half, the Monarchs maintained offensive pressure on the Barons, consistently skirmishing near the Fountain Valley goal and making close attempts at scoring. Multiple saves from junior goalkeeper Jack Nelson, however, kept Mater Dei at bay until the 68th minute, when the Monarchs scored on a header from a corner kick into the Barons’ goal.
Following the Monarchs’ fourth goal, the game saw a surge of intensity from Mater Dei that was sustained until the end of the game. Mounting an increasingly concerted offensive against the Barons, the Monarchs held on to the initiative and scored in the 72nd and 77th minutes of the half. While Fountain Valley kept fighting, making a few more pushes downfield, the boys were unable to retake the momentum from Mater Dei and saw the game close with a final score of 1-6.
Today’s game concludes the boys’ participation in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The team won the Sunset Wave League last Wednesday and finished with an overall record of 9-6-3 and a league record of 5-0-1.
