BOYS’ SOCCER ROUNDUP : Notre Dame Surprises Harvard, 3-2
The Notre Dame High boys’ soccer team, winless in its first three San Fernando Valley League matches, upset Harvard, the second-ranked team in the Southern Section Small Schools Division, 3-2, on Tuesday at Harvard.
Left halfback Eric Bustamante scored in heavy traffic with nine minutes remaining to give the Knights (10-7-1 overall, 3-3-0 in league play) the victory, their third in row.
“I said all season long that they were a class team, just not very lucky . . . in league,” Harvard Coach Barclay Mackinnon said.
The loss left the Saracens (13-3-3, 4-1-1) a game behind La Salle (5-0-1), a 9-2 winner over Bell-Jeff, in the league title race. Harvard and La Salle tied, 1-1, two weeks ago.
For Notre Dame, Tuesday’s win avenged a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Harvard earlier this month.
“We came out at the start of the season lukewarm,” midfielder Steve Giacoma said. “Right now, we’re hot.”
Notre Dame scored first. Forward James Meono directed a corner kick toward goalkeeper Rob Faucett, but the ball bounced out of the senior’s hands and across the goal line.
Harvard tied the score on Andrew Weiss’ head shot three minutes into the second half. Greg Harlan booted a corner kick from the left to Jerome Schwartz, who directed a head pass to Weiss at the right goal post.
Six minutes later, forward Eric Wellman scored to give Notre Dame a 2-1 advantage. Mark Feine later scored on a penalty kick to pull the Saracens even, after Weiss was tackled by Notre Dame’s Mickey McGuigan in the penalty area.
John Galas recorded nine saves in goal for the Knights. Faucett, who has nine shutouts, made six stops.
In other matches:
L.A. Baptist 4, Maranatha 0-- Midfielder Ron Simpson, who has a team-leading 23 goals, scored once and had two assists to pace L. A. Baptist (16-1-2, 7-0) at home.
Forwards Mark Marshall, Dan Stepper and Kevin Trumbo each added a goal and goalkeeper Jeff Hampsten notched his eighth shutout.
L. A. Baptist outshot the Minutemen (3-2-1 in league), 16-2.
Saugus 2, Antelope Valley 2--Forward Kenny Van Ausdall and midfielder John Stedleton each scored on a Wes Baxter assist to pace the Antelopes (6-1-3, 4-1-2) in a Golden League match at home.
Saugus is 2-2-3 in league play.