Short-Handed Millikan Barely Misses a Beat

Long Beach Millikan High has yet to put its top 11 boys’ soccer players on the field at the same time this season, but that hasn’t hurt the Rams.

Millikan, the defending Southern Section Division I champion, did lose to Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills, 2-1, in its own tournament on Dec. 1 when it was missing eight starters who were taking the Scholastic Assessment Test.

But the Rams (9-1) won seven consecutive games since that loss heading into Tuesday’s Moore League opener at Long Beach Cabrillo.

“We have not played two games with the same lineup,” said Coach Rod Petkovic, in his 20th season. “We’re just hoping to have everybody back by the start of the new year.”

Millikan, the No. 5-ranked team by The Times, was without six starters on the second day of play in its tournament Dec. 8 because the players were taking the American College Test. And they were missing four starters two days later because of a field trip.

Yet Millikan went 3-0 during that stretch, outscoring its opponents, 10-0.

The Rams have also overcome injuries to several players.

The injuries and absences have been so numerous that only four players, sweeper Scott Mason, forward Agustin Nunez, midfielder and forward Rafael Pimental and fullback Brian Tunnicliff, have started in all of Millikan’s games.

The absence of several starters, however, has allowed lesser-known players such as midfielders George Vasquez, Marcos Canseco and Ricardo Duenas, and stoppers Michael Covey and Jason Tetrault to get extensive playing time.

Time that could come in handy later in the season when all of Millikan’s starters are expected back.

“One thing I’m happy about is that we’ve been forced to play other guys,” Petkovic said.

“More guys have played, which should give us an advantage because we’ll be able to bring in more fresh players [off the bench] than most teams.”

*

Looking forward: Scheduling conflicts are expected to prevent top-ranked Irvine Woodbridge and ninth-ranked Lake Forest El Toro from making up Friday’s nonleague game that was postponed because of rain.

The teams could meet in the Trabuco Hills tournament that starts on Dec. 27.

*

Headed to Florida: La Puente Nogales, Santa Margarita, Gardena Serra, La Canada St. Francis, Temecula Valley and Woodland Hills El Camino Real will play in the 32-team Puma Invitational in Tampa.

Nogales (5-0) was the fifth-ranked team in the nation in Student Sports magazine’s Dec. 11 winter soccer poll with Santa Margarita (8-1) at 18th.

Five other top-20 teams are entered in the tournament, which begins Thursday and is divided into two 16-team brackets.

Nogales, St. Francis and Temecula Valley will play in the premier bracket with Santa Margarita, El Camino Real and Serra in the elite grouping.

*

Streak buster: When Brea Olinda lost to Diamond Bar, 4-2, on Thursday, it ended the Wildcats’ unbeaten streak at 29games.

Brea Olinda, defending Southern Section Division III co-champion, was 23-0-6 during that streak.