Crescenta Valley boys’ soccer comes up short at Pioneer Valley

It was a long road back to get to the playoffs for the Crescenta Valley High boys’ soccer team.

Following a 2014-15 season that ended without a trip to the playoffs, the Falcons found themselves with five losses to start the Pacific League season.

But they clawed back to the tune of a nine-match unbeaten streak that vaulted them into the CIF Southern Section Division III postseason.

Thus, when Wednesday evening’s wild-card match at Pioneer Valley ended with a 2-1 defeat for Crescenta Valley, Falcons Coach Grant Clark’s long trip home from Santa Maria was still a good one.

“To come back from 0-5 in league and make the playoffs and to play a team like we did today — Pioneer Valley is good — I’m extremely proud of what they did,” Clark said. “I can’t be upset.

“We had a young group and they grew up a lot this year. It makes me excited for next season.”

Crescenta Valley (9-9-7), which finished third in the Pacific League, held a 1-0 first-half lead over Pioneer Valley (11-2-1), which took second in the PAC 8 League. But the Panthers scored twice in the final 40 minutes to advance to Friday’s first round at Claremont.

Henry Barkhordarian put the Falcons up, 1-0, with a goal in the 29th minute, as he found himself against three Panthers, but got off an excellent shot.

“He put a great move on them and he was able to get a shot away,” Clark said. “It was a laser just under the crossbar.”

The first half was one in which the Falcons were against the wind.

“We were playing into the wind and we couldn’t get it into their half,” Clark said.

Thus, the Falcons were confident with a 1-0 lead and the wind at their backs heading into the second half, but it wasn’t to be.

Panther Carlos Vasquez knotted the match in the 54th minute before Vasquez scored again off a corner kick for the 63rd-minute game-winner.