VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : KEEPING TABS : Former Pupils Are Getting In Painful Kicks Against Davila

Terry Davila, coach of the Cal State Northridge men’s soccer team, is always happy to hear of former players doing well, but lately it has come at his expense.

In two recent tournaments, two of Davila’s former club players--Justin Canel (Crespi High) and Danny Sable (Harvard Westlake)--scored against the Matadors.

Canel scored in Santa Clara’s 4-0 victory in the Diadora Classic on Sept. 10 and Sable scored the winning goal in Vanderbilt’s 3-2 victory Friday in the Aces Classic.

“It put a little knife in my heart,” Davila said. “It’s like playing against your kid. You’re proud of him, but it kills. I wanted to congratulate them but it was at my expense.

“I’m really proud of those guys. They are representing the San Fernando Valley well. Both are playing phenomenal.”

Canel, a sophomore, has started four of six games at center midfielder for No. 2-ranked Santa Clara (6-0), which has yet to allow a goal this season. He has a goal and an assist.

“Everybody at Northridge are my buddies,” said Canel, a former Western Region All-American, two-time All-Mission League selection and second-team All-Southern Section pick. “To score against Terry, my old coach, is a great feeling.

“Not even to play, but to start for the No. 2 team in the country is a great feeling. At first you don’t even think about it, but after a while it really sets in. Once you realize it, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Canel’s fast start was slowed when he was elbowed in the eye in a victory over San Jose State. He received two stitches and was forced to sit out the next game against No. 15 Hofstra.

Canel sat out an earlier game while serving a red-card suspension for a dangerous tackle against the College of Notre Dame. He is questionable for a game today against San Diego State.

Sable, a freshman, has played in four of five games for Vanderbilt (4-1). In addition to scoring the winning goal against Northridge, he provided the winning assist in a 2-1 overtime victory over Winthrop.

“I’m proud to see him do so well,” Davila said. “I wish I could have kept him here.”

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Talk about bad luck. Jason Berriz, a former Times’ second-team all-region pick at Saugus High, was sidelined the first two years of his college career at California because of a broken foot.

Berriz, who played goalkeeper at Crespi as a freshmen before transferring to Saugus, was in contention for a starting position as a freshman at Cal when he was injured.

After redshirting, he broke the same bone last year.

Berriz is finally healthy, but differences with Coach Mark Mallon have prompted Berriz to sit out this season. He plans to transfer by next season.

“[Mallon] and I don’t see eye to eye,” Berriz said. “Now that my foot is healed, I hope to get back in game shape and transfer to a Division I school and make a name for myself.”

With two years of eligibility, he is leaning toward transferring to either Cal State Fullerton or the University of San Diego. He nearly transferred to Notre Dame this fall, but failed to meet the school’s math requirement.

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Rebecca Carroll (Oak Park) is off to a great start in her freshman year at Division III Colorado College. Carroll leads the team with five goals and three assists. She scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over New Mexico.

Carroll, a Times second team all-region pick last year, scored two goals against Alabama-Birmingham and two more against Indiana-Purdue.

Colorado College is 5-2.

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Jason Leonard (El Camino Real, Moorpark College) is making a big contribution for Cal State Bakersfield.

Leonard, former Northwest Valley Conference offensive player of the year, has started every game at right fullback for the Roadrunners, who share the No. 4 ranking with Chico State in the Far West Region of NCAA Division II.

The Roadrunners are 4-2-1.