Nitros begin league with tie

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — To avoid the possibility of scrambling until the final week of the regular season to clinch a potential playoff berth, the members of the Glendale High boys’ soccer team have a goal in store — pile up points as quickly as possible in league.

The Nitros began their quest Wednesday afternoon with a Pacific League-opening match against visiting Arcadia. They got one point out of it.

Glendale got a goal from Levon Sargsyan and came away with 1-1 tie at Moyse Field.

“I think there were a lot of nerves because it was the first league game,” said Glendale Coach Tulio Marroquin, whose team improved to 2-0-3. “I know our players had been anticipating starting league for a long time.

“We played well, but we do need to go from here and work on some things. We need points in league and we want to be able to get them early.”

The Nitros, who qualified for the playoffs last season after finishing fourth in league, controlled the flow of the match through the first half. Glendale opened the scoring when David Martirosyan made a nifty pass down the left side to Sargsyan, who fired a low shot past Arcadia goalkeeper Andrew Chin in the sixth minute.

“We work a lot on moving the ball back and forth,” Marroquin said. “We have the kind of players who can do that.”

Arcadia knotted the match when Danny Ortiz scored in the 35th minute. Ortiz fired a point-blank shot that Glendale goalkeeper Aris Yeghiazaryan stopped but couldn’t contain. Ortiz pounced on the rebound and beat Yeghiazaryan, who finished with three saves before being replaced in the second half by James Mizuki.

Each team had a quality scoring chance in the second half. A direct kick by Sargsyan sailed wide past the left post in the 53rd minute. Mizuki made a diving save in the 58th minute. Mizuki recorded four saves.

The Nitros and the Apaches (0-4-1) will meet again at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at Arcadia.

Glendale will next participate in a league road game at 3:30 p.m. Friday against Pasadena.