Guards need a lot more in 12-0 loss
Jeff Tully
Zaven Dedeian was a blur on the field for the Bellarmie-Jefferson
High boys’ soccer team in a Santa Fe League match against L.A.
Salesian.
The junior not only spent time trying to create scoring
opportunities from his forward spot, but he also patrolled the
midfield and gave the Guards help in the defense.
However, Bell-Jeff would have needed five or six more Dedeians to
defeat the high-scoring Mustangs Monday, as the Guards went down to a
12-0 defeat at Woodbury University.
Dedeian, a junior who leads the team with eight goals, tried to
put his skills to work against Salesian, which is ranked No. 2 in CIF
Southern Section Division V. However, his tactical dribbling ability,
his booming kicks and his wealth of speed were only minor
distractions to Salesian.
“I just try and do all that I can for my team when I’m out on the
field,” said Dedeian, who plays for the Foothill Flyers club team in
the offseason. “I try and work as hard as I can and I try to create
goals, for me, and my teammates.”
For Bell-Jeff (3-10, 3-6 in league) Coach Luigi Argento, Dedeian’s
play and dedication to the team have been some of the few highlights
this season for a team that has struggled at times.
“Zaven does everything well, and there isn’t anything he can’t do
on the field,” Argento said. “He has very good skills and he is a
leader on the field.”
Against Salesian (19-2-1, 9-0-1) -- which has scored 123 goals in
22 matches and averages 5.8 goals a contest -- Argento had to deal
with a depleted squad and had no substitutes on the bench.
“Four of my players just didn’t show up for the game,” Argento
said. “On the field, I had one guy who has asthma, one who has
allergies and one who is sick. It’s just terrible that we have to
play like this.”
At halftime, with the Mustangs leading, 6-0, Argento even asked
the officials if some of the Bell-Jeff girls’ soccer players -- who
had just finished their practice adjacent to the field -- could enter
the game to give some of the Guard players a rest.
The request was denied.
With all 11 Bell-Jeff players on the field for the entire 80
minutes, it only made things easier for the Mustangs, as Salesian
scored almost a will.
Fabian Plasencia and Michael Padilla both scored three goals each.
Padilla has 34 goals this season.
“We knew coming into the game that [Salesian] was going to be a
very good team and they were probably going to score a lot of goals,”
Argento said. “I told my players just to go out there and play. I
told them ‘Don’t worry, just do your best.’ ”
The Guards were able to manage just two shots on goal.
Bell-Jeff goalkeepers Jose Diaz and Anthony Lombardo were kept
busy, as they combined for 16 saves. Lombardo, playing in goal for
the first time, made some good saves and actually kept the Mustangs
from running up the score even more.