Hat trick propels La Cañada boys’ soccer to league victory
LA CAÑADA — La Cañada High boys’ soccer Coach Alex Harrison had a simple and yet not-so-easy request from his team on his birthday.
The veteran coach asked that his host Spartans knock off reigning Rio Hondo League champion South Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon.
Fortunately for Harrison and the Spartans, senior striker Nathan Oh was listening and doffed his cap to his coach by delivering a hat trick in a 3-1 victory.
“It felt great to get the hat trick, but I honestly felt we could have done a lot better,” Oh said. “We had some great passing in the second half and that’s how I was able to score.”
With the win, La Cañada remained unbeaten in league play with a 6-4-4 overall record and 3-0 mark in the Rio Hondo League, while South Pasadena dropped to 3-6-1 and 1-2.
It wasn’t a certainty that Oh would even be in the contest for the second score.
The senior took a tumble in the 46th minute after being denied on five-yard shot by goalie Kevin Foster and sat out for the next 10 minutes.
When Oh did return, he found himself in the right spot as a pass from Armand Manoukian was batted around inside the 18 before Oh took possession and ripped a 10-yard match-winning goal in the 68th minute.
Oh added a breakaway goal in the 76th minute for his and the match’s final tally.
“It was about consistency for us,” Harrison said. “It’s psychological. If we play the way we’re supposed to, this is the result. When we don’t, well, then you get the first half.”
It was a mixed first half for the Spartans, who had four solid looks and won the shots battle, 8-4, but had to settle for a tie at 1.
Oh started the scoring when a quick counter-attack led to a brilliant long ball from Tristian Bambanian that caught Oh in stride just inside the 18.
Oh reeled in the pass and rocketed a 15-yard goal in the second minute to give La Cañada a 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans probably should have scored more and almost did. Oh took a turn as playmaker and laced a through ball past two defenders to teammate Lawrence Ku, who outmaneuvered Foster, but fired wide right from 12 yards in the 13th minute.
Two minutes later, sophomore forward Armen Eyssakhanian sent a pass to Oh, who peppered a 15-yard shot stopped by a diving Foster (five saves).
The rebound bounced perfectly into the path of Ku, who fired a goal that was called back on an offside call.
South Pasadena weathered the close calls and delivered the equalizer in the 20th minute when a seemingly innocuous throw-in from Tigers defender Max Amido bounced into the penalty area and was knocked in by Oskar Hernandez from five yards.
The Tigers then almost took the lead in the 29th minute when a free kick from senior James Anderson ricocheted off a defender, but was still stopped by La Cañada goalie Michael Selsor (three saves).
“We’re not the same team as last year and we know how good La Cañada is,” South Pasadena Coach Juan Zurita said. “We had a defensive plan and we played well for the most part, but we had some lapses. La Cañada took advantage like good teams do.”
