Division I Boys

Site--Cerritos Gahr

When--6 p.m. today

Palos Verdes Peninsula (28-1-3)--Starters: Kevin Perrault, Sr., goalkeeper, two-time All-Bay League, 23 shutouts, Marina tournament MVP; Derek Larkins, Sr., sweeper, Southern Section Division I defensive player of the year in 1995; Nobu Kurihara, So., fullback; Nick Resich, Jr., center fullback; Jessie Neese, Jr., fullback; Brett Davis, Jr., center halfback; Robert Artino, Jr., midfielder; Brady Ryan, Sr., midfielder; Brad Durbin, So., forward, 12 goals; Mike Gleason, Sr., forward, 16 goals; Chad Davis, So., forward, seven goals.

Esperanza (25-2-2)--Starters: Ryan Johnson, Sr., goalkeeper, 13 shutouts, 120 saves; Brandon Clewitt, Sr., stopper, five goals, 12 assists; Brian Hall, Sr., fullback; Scott Bartulis, Jr., fullback; Matt Wellner, Sr., sweeper; Aaron Poling, Sr., midfielder, five goals, four assists; Randy Mitchell, Sr., midfielder, one goal, three assists; Aaron Colacion, So., midfielder, five goals, eight assists; Mike Murphy, Jr., midfielder; five goals, seven assists; Aaron Pugmire, Sr., forward, 15 goals, five assists; Mark Rodieck, Sr., forward, 29 goals, eight assists).

Keys to the game--Top-seeded Peninsula defeated second-seeded Esperanza, 2-1, in the second round of the Long Beach Millikan tournament. Esperanza Coach Kino Oaxaca is not surprised to be facing Peninsula again. “They looked good enough to be where they are,” he said. “They’re a quick physical team and very skillful.” Peninsula’s second-leading scorer, Jacob Chacko (12 goals), has missed the last two games because of college interviews but is expected to play. Forward Mark Puskas (10 goals) is questionable. Peninsula, which lost only to North Torrance, scored 69 goals and gave up only nine, but Coach Alan King is worried about Esperanza, particularly Rodieck. “They’re very big,” King said. “I didn’t know he scored that many goals. He scares me. But we’ve scored a lot of goals too.” Oaxaca said he expects Rodieck to receive plenty of attention. “Mark is a good enough player to get by one or two players anyway,” Oaxaca said. “He’s expecting that now. It makes our other players look for somebody else when they play Mark like that.” Lately, Esperanza has been looking to Murphy, who has two of five goals in the last two games.