BOYS’ SOCCER ROUNDUP : Lagunas’ Goal on Penalty Shot Gets Santa Ana Past Huntington Beach

Ninth-ranked Santa Ana beat a surprisingly resilient Huntington Beach team, 4-3, in a seesaw Sunset League boys’ soccer game Wednesday at Huntington Beach.

Francisco Lagunas’ penalty-shot goal with two minutes remaining in the game gave Santa Ana (10-4-2, 7-1-1 in league) the lead for good.

Lagunas’ goal came five minutes after Huntington Beach’s Demetrio Ordaz had scored his second goal of the game on a penalty shot, tying the score, 3-3.

Ordaz got the penalty shot after Santa Ana’s Jorge Valdez inadvertently cleared the ball out of the penalty box with his hand. However, the two officials apparently saw the play differently.

“The referee on the side it happened didn’t think it was a penalty shot,” Santa Ana Coach Bob Pacieznik said. “But the other official was convinced of the call.”

Santa Ana controlled most of the game. The Saints took a 1-0 lead early in the first half when Gerardo Velasquez scored on a crossing pass from Jose Cadena.

Huntington Beach (5-9-1, 2-6-1) had two shots in the first half; Santa Ana, which led, 1-0, at halftime, had 12.

“I think we really controlled the first half,” Pacieznik said. “Our defense did give up a few weak goals, though, later in the game.”

Four minutes into the second half, Ordaz scored for the Oilers, tying the score, 1-1. Santa Ana built its lead to 3-1 on goals by Valdez and Velasquez. It was Velasquez’s second goal of the game.

The Oilers battled back, however.

“Huntington Beach is a really good team,” Pacieznik said. “So I’m very happy with the win.”

Jose Mata made five saves in goal for Santa Ana. Dieter Bless had 10 for Huntington Beach.