Marina boys’ soccer has four-game winning streak snapped by Whittier California
The Marina High boys’ soccer team ought to be filled with holiday cheer, as the program is off to one of its better starts of this decade.
A recent stretch of good play has put an opportunity on the table for the Vikings to put together their first winning season in seven years.
The Vikings split their first two matches of their host tournament on Thursday, ending the day with a 1-0 loss to Whittier California in the 33rd Annual Marina Holiday Classic.
On Thursday morning, Marina won its fourth consecutive match, earning a 3-1 win over Bolsa Grande. Ted Frousiakis, Damiond Mendoza and Cooper Livingston scored for the Vikings (4-3-2).
The result keeps the Vikings above the .500 mark for the season, a rare sight in recent years. Marina’s last winning season came in the 2012-13 campaign, which saw the Vikings finish the season with a record of 10-9-4.
“What I have seen from our players is that they have gradually improved game by game,” Vikings coach Gabriel Lucatero said. “As a unit, there is some chemistry that is coming together.
“I think the energy, for the most part, has been a lot better than it has in the past. Hence, the success that they’ve had, it stems from that.”
Marina outscored its opponents 14-2 during its four-match winning streak, but Lucatero said that his team got away from some of the things that made them successful in its last game of the day.
Against California, the Vikings struggled to create scoring opportunities as they looked to stretch the field for forward Eric Church.
Lucatero noted that his team did not connect in the midfield, which led to a total of three shots on target in the match. Although his team was missing a couple of starters in Pete Frousiakis and Aaron Arredondo, Lucatero was still looking for greater energy in the second half.
“I think that was something that we lacked, and we spoke about it at the end, was the want,” Lucatero said. “That you’re going to do anything that is possible to find the back of the net, to help give your team an opportunity to tie the game because we’re down.”
Vikings goalkeeper Kyle Miller had a standout performance, making several diving stops among his seven saves to keep the score at a one-goal margin.
“I think we’re looking good right now,” Miller said. “There is a lot of positive energy from everyone, the coaches [and] the whole team.
“I feel that individually, I’ve been performing. My back line has been performing really well.”
TJ Suess, Cooper Livingston, Dane Brenton and Michael Doke made up the back line for the Vikings.
The combination of Michael Vasquez and Jose Luis Mariscal proved a dangerous duo for the Condors (4-6) up top, accounting for five of the shots sent in Miller’s direction.
Mariscal scored on a chaotic set piece in the 22nd minute. Antonio Reyes’ free kick hit the crossbar and came down in the box. Left back Kevin Closson crashed the net to get a touch on the ball, and Mariscal finished it off.
“I think we all just played with heart,” Mariscal said. “We all played hard, and that’s what brought us the win.”
Aaron Ramirez kept his second clean sheet of the season for the Condors. He credited improvement from his team in defending set pieces.
“We’re a team that has so much potential, but we don’t always put it into every single game,” Ramirez said. “I’m glad that this is where we learn from our mistakes. This is where we fix everything and just become a better team together.”
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