SUNSET LEAGUE BOYS’ SOCCER : Practice Makes Perfect for Coye, Ocean View

A little extra practice has led to a big changing of the guard in the Sunset League boys’ soccer race.

Spurred by an impressive goal from Kevin Coye, Ocean View knocked off the county’s third-ranked team, Santa Ana, 2-1, Friday to take command in the Sunset League.

The victory moved Ocean View (17-4-2 overall) into a first-place tie with Santa Ana (16-3-2). Both teams are 8-2-2 in the league, but Ocean View has the tiebreaker edge with two games remaining because the Seahawks are 1-0-1 against Santa Ana.

Coye, a senior forward, broke a 1-1 tie with four minutes left in the game on a goal off a line-drive direct kick that appeared to scrape the bottom of the crossbar as it zoomed into the net.

Earlier this season, Coye failed on a similar kick in a league loss to Edison.

“After that game, I went home and practiced that kick,” Coye said. “I was frustrated when I missed. I guess I got it down.”

Ocean View, which is ranked fifth, found itself down, 1-0, 10 minutes into the second half when Santa Ana’s Armando Hernandez scored after a flurry in front of Ocean View goalkeeper Justin Hoffman.

The Seahawks tied the game nine minutes later as Cesar Hernandez scored off a set play. Coye then drove in his game-winner.

“We had our chances and didn’t put them away,” said Santa Ana Coach Bob Pacieznik. “If you want to win league, you have to beat the best teams. We still have a chance, but now we need help.”

That help could be on the horizon. The two league games Ocean View has left are against Edison and Marina. Both teams have knocked off the Seahawks this season.

“Now we’re in the driver’s seat,” said Ocean View Coach Paul Kollar. ‘But we have not won a league championship yet. We still have to beat two good teams.

“We’re fired up. I consider this championship almost more important than the CIF. Our league top to bottom is the premier league. I’m very happy right now.”

In other league games:

Marina 3, Fountain Valley 0--Jose Monroy, Jimmy Nielson and Tahj Jakins each scored to lead Marina (15-6-3, 7-4-1 in league). Scott Hainer had 14 saves for Fountain Valley (4-10-2, 1-8-2).

Huntington Beach 1, Servite 0--Robert Ryan scored on a free kick 12 minutes into the second half and Matt Goldman had five saves in his fourth consecutive shutout for Huntington Beach (12-7-3, 7-3-2). Servite is 9-8-3, 5-6-1.