Soccer: Allen Moiseyev of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is having fun and scoring lots of goals

For three years while attending classes at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Allen Moiseyev kept running into soccer Coach Patrick Thomsen.

“I’d walk by and he’d say, ‘You should play for your high school team,’” Moiseyev said.

Moiseyev spent three years as part of an Academy League team. You don’t have a choice _ it’s either high school or Academy League. His mom wanted him to play high school. His father wanted Academy League.

Finally, this past year, Moiseyev decided for his senior year, he wanted to have fun. He joined the high school team. The rest will be part of memories he’ll never forget.

He has scored 17 goals in 12 games and helped Notre Dame to a 6-0 start in the Mission League and a No. 9 ranking in Southern Section Division 1.

He’s enjoying his high school experience so much that he says, “Honestly, I like high school more than Academy. I made a mistake. I should have played high school since my freshman year. It’s fun. I don’t know what else to tell you. It’s the most fun time of my life right now.”

Yes, many will claim you have to play Academy League soccer because that’s where the college and pro scouts will find you. But there are plenty of examples of players playing high school and doing quite well after moving on to college. And Moiseyev should be another one, though he doesn’t know yet what he’ll be doing after graduating this spring.

Jesse Fitzgerald of Washington was the Mission League offensive MVP in 2015 after playing at Notre Dame. He stuck to playing in high school.

Moiseyev, playing the forward position, has quickly blended in and made an impact. Even though he has 17 goals, he’s considered so unselfish that Thomsen had to tell him to shoot more instead of pass.

And Moiseyev is enjoying the opportunity to play for his high school and hang out with teammates.

“They took me in,” he said. “They respect me. I like my teammates. I like the bond we have. I like how we play as a team. We do what’s best for the team.”

Every season, it seems as if Thomsen loses players to the Academy League. He has three students on campus not playing high school soccer who are top players.

“I always want them to know Notre Dame is available if and when they want to return,” Thomsen said.

For now, Moiseyev will be the latest to leave the Academy League and flourish in high school and enjoy the moment with his new friends and new teammates.