On Wednesday, the boys’ varsity soccer team went up against the Huntington Beach High Oilers and ended with a 0-0 tie.
“I think it played out very well. We stayed very strong. We didn’t let them get very many chances. All they had were throw-ins, so I think we did what we had to do today,” senior Masin Marini said.
The first half of the game was mainly a back-and-forth with the Barons fighting hard against the Oilers.
Defense was able to push back against them many times, not allowing the Oilers to make any goals. Junior goalie Austin Quach, made notable plays as he defended each time the Oilers got close.
With seven minutes remaining, junior Devin La Clair and senior Marcus Edsell had assisted each other in attempting to score a goal, however it ended up going wide. Freshman Drew Payne also managed to steal the ball from the Oilers and attempted to score but ultimately missed.
The Barons’ offense tried multiple times to make a goal. At approximately five minutes, Marini tried to score a goal but was blocked by the Oilers’ defense. The first half ended 0-0.
Going into the second half, both teams were determined to score.
The Barons fought hard trying to score a goal. At twenty-seven minutes, La Clair stole the ball and passed to junior Ethan Larrson. Larrson subsequently attempted to score a goal but wasn’t able to finish through.
Throughout the second half, the Barons encountered multiple yellow cards called on junior Myles Ponce and Larson.
“One of the ways we can improve is to have more composure. Taking the ball down the line a lot more and stay a lot stronger inside the midfield,” Marini said.
With nine minutes left, the game continued in a fast-paced and back-and-forth manner as each team was trying to score a goal. Both the Barons’ and the Oilers’ defense and offense went all-out as they attempted to overpower the other team.
“Everyone played very well,” Marini said. “Defensive, strong; midfielder, strong. From back to front. Everything was going very well, you know, we just had to score more goals to get the win.”
In the end, the Barons tied with the Oilers 0-0.
“I was encouraged by the way we played,” coach Jason Smith said. “Our last few games we’ve played well, been competitive and we tied two really good teams. We tied Newport Harbor and then Huntington, who is really good. We got a result, meaning a tie and we didn’t lose so it’s positive. It gives us some momentum going into the Edison game on Friday.”
The boys’ next game will be at home at Fountain Valley High School on Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. against the Edison Chargers.
