Crescenta Valley High boys’ soccer’s tough times continue

NEWHALL — A splendid effort that looked to have Crescenta Valley High’s boys’ soccer team well on its way to ending its recent travails instead turned into an outcome that was very much a microcosm of the team’s season.

Not long after building a two-goal lead, the Falcons saw their play and hopes begin to spiral downward, as Crescenta Valley allowed four unanswered goals in a 4-2 defeat to Knight on Friday afternoon at the Hart Tournament.

“It’s a tough loss,” Falcons Coach Grant Clark said. “We started off so well. We moved the ball well, we moved off the ball well. They couldn’t keep up with us. And then it all started falling apart. The wheels came off.”

With the defeat, the Falcons (3-4-1) lost for the fourth time over the last five games and remained winless over those past five after starting the season 3-0.

Knight (5-1-2), which defeated Saugus earlier in the day, got a goal off a throw-in from Jimmy Rivera in the 23rd minute to cut it to 2-1, then found the equalizer in the 26th minute off a penalty kick by Osmar Flores.

Tied at 2 after the first 35-minute half, Knight came out firing in the second half early, with Francisco Rivera scoring the eventual game-winner three minutes into the half.

The Hawks then tallied the final score with two minutes remaining when Angel Cova flicked in a ball with the side of his foot after the Falcons’ goalie and a defender collided.

“I think Knight deserves a lot of credit,” Clark said. “They really stepped up their play defensively.”

Crescenta Valley began the day breaking a three-game losing streak with a 1-1 tie against Cleveland with Justin Wright scoring off an assist by Kyle Quesada as the Falcons came back from a 1-0 deficit.

Against Knight, the Falcons took a 1-0 lead when Kevin Ginosian played a though ball to the backline and Henry Barkhordarian crossed inside to Jason Winicki, who scored in the seventh minute.

In the 21st minute, Joshua Moran drilled home a free kick from 36 yards for a 2-0 advantage.

Immediately after, Clark yelled from the sidelines, imploring his team to keep up its play, but the message was apparently lost in the windy conditions.

Just two minutes later, Knight halved the lead.

When the Hawks took the lead in the second half, at least one Falcons player was vocal in his displeasure as frustration began to boil over.

Knight quickly began playing defensively, dropping its players back and things got chippy, with the Hawks doing their best to bleed the clock for the majority of the half.

Crescenta Valley controlled possession for much of the remainder of the half, but its passing game wasn’t clicking and its shots were hesitant.

“We have to be more disciplined with playing together a full game,” Clark said. “It needs to be a full team effort for the length of the game.”

Crescenta Valley’s finest opportunity in the second half, coming as it trailed, 3-2, saw Ginosian dish left to a streaking Winicki, who fired a shot on frame that rose to bounce off the crossbar.

Crescenta Valley resumes tournament play Saturday against Dos Pueblos with the need for a victory seemingly rising.

“I hate to say that so early in the season, but it really is,” said Clark of how crucial it is to get a victory. “The win would boost a lot of confidence.”