SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Esperanza Again Sends Chavez’s Team Packing

El Toro Coach Bob Chavez probably hopes he never plays Esperanza or Coach Ken Oaxaca again.

Last season in the semifinals, Esperanza defeated La Puente Bishop Amat, 2-0, with Chavez as coach. This season in the second round of the Southern Section Division II boys’ soccer playoffs, Esperanza (16-5-5), the defending Division II champion, beat the Chargers, 4-3, in sudden-death overtime at El Toro.

Esperanza plays Long Beach Millikan Thursday in a quarterfinal.

The Aztecs never led until they pulled out the victory 4 minutes 30 seconds into sudden death. Mike Morales, going one on one with goalie Jason Pitts, put the ball into the left corner of the net.

“The kids played the last 20 minutes with real heart,” Oaxaca said. “The way they came back today, we can beat anyone.”

El Toro (18-4-5) scored first on Ricky Le’s goal 15 minutes into the game. The Chargers seemed to be in control for most of the first half behind the speed and ballhandling of Le and Deiter Segura. But the Aztecs tied the score on Aaron Pugmire’s goal with five minutes remaining in the half. Jason Wolfe got the ball in front and was tripped up. Pugmire recovered the ball and scored the first of his two goals.

Ten minutes into the second half, El Toro took the lead again, 2-1, when Jose Lopez scored over goalie Jaeson Fikse. But the Aztecs came back. Standing in front of the goal, Pugmire put a header in the corner out of Pitts’ reach with 15 minutes remaining.

Then it was the Chargers’ turn again. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Simon Vanderweide put a goal into the right side giving El Toro a 3-2 lead.

“I talked to the kids after (El Toro) scored and I told them if we can score right now, we’ll win it,” Oaxaca said.

And that’s what Esperanza did. With five minutes left in regulation, Wolfe scored with a header off a throw in to tie it, 3-3. Twenty-four minutes later, Morales put it away.