Head cases: When players on the Irvine...

Head cases: When players on the Irvine boys’ soccer team went looking for a motivational tool, they didn’t have to look far. The players used their heads.

After losing two matches in the South Coast League and tying one, the Vaqueros shaved their heads.

“We started league and the team was at a down level,” said Irvine Coach Armando Bolanos, who replaced Darrell Prescott before the league season. “The bench thought they were a separate entity from the starters. When I took over, I tried to change the team’s (makeup) a little, but I basically stayed with the same format.”

When league play began, Bolanos started substituting more, but after losing to Mission Viejo, 1-0, Jan. 15, he told the players that maybe they were losing because there was too much substituting.

On the bus ride home from Mission Viejo, the Irvine players came up with the idea of shaving the sides of their heads and leaving some hair on top--to show team unity. By 2 p.m. Thursday, half the team was shaven. Before the day was over, all but one of the 21 team members had new haircuts.

The next day, Irvine (6-3-2) beat Dana Hills, 1-0.

“The Dana Hills coach came up to me after the game and said, ‘How did you get your guys to shave their heads?’ ” Bolanos said. “I said, ‘I didn’t. It was something they decided to do. Basically, it was a motivation thing.’ ”

As for the lone holdout on the team? He apparently had some college interviews to attend. Bolanos expects him to submit to the razor soon, however.

“I think it got us more pumped up,” said fullback Dan Berrie. “Hopefully, it will bring us good luck.”