Sylmar Gets Boot Out of Lopez

Ernesto Lopez has been the savior for the Sylmar High boys’ soccer team.

The sophomore was called up from the junior varsity less than three weeks ago and has scored the winning goal in two of the Spartans’ last five games and is averaging a goal a game.

Lopez scored again in the Spartans’ 2-0 victory over Reseda in a Valley Mission League game at Sylmar, erasing the Regents’ hope for a league title.

“We’ve been trying to beat Reseda forever,” said Sylmar Coach Emanuel Martins, whose team beat Reseda for the first time after losing to Reseda, 5-0, earlier this season. “We finally did it. Reseda is the team with the most soccer tradition in the Valley. This is what we needed to go to playoffs with a little confidence.”

Reseda (20-6-3, 6-3-1 in league play) finished second to San Fernando. Sylmar (12-9-3, 5-5) was fourth.

Both goals came on errors by the Regents.

The first came in the eighth minute when goalkeeper Gabriel Venegas’ clearing pass struck one of his defenders and stayed behind the Regents’ defense.

Jose Lozano of Sylmar tapped the ball over the goal line.

Lopez beat a poorly executed offside trap in the 69th minute and slipped his shot between Venegas and the left post.

Sylmar held William Sims, who has 31 goals this season, to one shot.

Sims’ shot beat goalkeeper Christian Pelayo in the 21st minute but went wide right.