Soccer Exhibition Scrubbed After Monroe Declines to Play

An exhibition soccer match scheduled to precede the City Section championship game was canceled because of the Monroe High team’s unwillingness to play, the team’s coach said.

The exhibition between Monroe and Chatsworth, both eliminated in the semifinal round of the playoffs, was to be played before the championship game at Westchester High. Reseda defeated San Pedro in the final, 3-1.

Monroe Coach Les Sasvary said after this team’s 3-2 loss to Reseda in the semifinals players decided against playing.

“When we found out it wasn’t a third-place game, no trophy or anything, we didn’t see any point in going out and playing and getting hurt or something,” Sasvary said.

Chatsworth Coach Richard Doran expressed disappointment over the cancellation and the manner in which he heard the news.

“I don’t hold any bad feelings toward Les Sasvary or his team. I just wish that the athletics office would have come out and said earlier in the week that no game was being played,” Doran said, referring to the City commissioner’s office.

Doran said he did not find out that the game was canceled until two days before the match.