Boys’ 2-A Soccer Playoffs : Laguna Beach Overcomes Walnut, 2-0

Foad Naderzad, Laguna Beach High School coach, had good reason to be worried before Friday’s Southern Section 2-A boy’s soccer quarterfinal game against Walnut.

With three of his best players out of the lineup, he believed the Artists would have to rely on good goaltending and solid defense to win.

He got that and more. Goalie Eric Miranda stopped 14 shots, and Bert Jaeger and Brien Tyus scored goals to lead Laguna Beach to a 2-0 victory at Walnut High School.

The victory moves Laguna Beach (20-3-3), the Pacific Coast League champion, into the semifinals, where it will face Laguna Hills at a site to be determined.

The Artists played without seniors Ryan Phillips or Tom Davidson or sophomore Graham Smith. Phillips was out with the flu, Davidson had broken a leg earlier this year and Smith was out with an ankle injury.

“We have come a long way with all these injuries,” Naderzad said. “This was a big win considering the injuries and the game being a long way from home.”

Both teams played tight defense during the first half as neither team could score. But in the second half Laguna Beach applied plenty of offensive pressure. The Artists drove nine shots at Walnut goalie Ralph Martinez, many of those from close range.

Jaeger scored the first goal for the Artists off an indirect free kick from Tyus. Jaeger blasted the shot past Martinez in the top left-hand corner 18 minutes into the second half. It was the first goal that Martinez had given up in the playoffs and only the 13th this season.

Four minutes later, Tyus scored an insurance goal, beating Martinez on a penalty kick from inside the slot area.

Pacifica 2, La Canada 1 (OT)--Junior midfielder Daniel Barber scored two goals, both in the second overtime period, to lead Pacifica into the semifinals. Barber took a pass from Kevin Ashworth, then scored from the edge of the penalty box to give Pacifica (12-6-4) a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the second overtime. Two minutes later, Barber scored on a breakaway, beating goalie Corey Ryken to the left, for a 2-0 lead. La Canada’s Kevin Hanssen cut the deficit to 2-1 with four seconds left. Goalie Bob Powell made 11 saves for Pacifica, which entered the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Central 3, Bolsa Grande 0--Central scored once in the first half and twice in the second half to eliminated visiting Bolsa Grande. Central will play Pacifica Tuesday in the semifinals.