LJ b soccer 1, Del Norte 3

Senior Lukas Keeling slips a Del Norte

defender to head upfield in the first half

of the CIF semifinals.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

Striker Luis Goehler kicked a bounder from 20 yards out that found the far left corner of the net in the seventh minute of play as the equalizer at 1-1, but La Jolla's top-seeded soccer team could not make it hold up as Del Norte took a 3-1 victory in the CIF Division 3 semifinals Tues., Feb. 28.

Goehler, whose family moved to La Jolla before the school year from Leipzig, former Eastern Germany, took a long aerial pass from Lukas Keeling on the run to score.

The likable junior's goal neutralized the shock of a Nighthawk header only 43 seconds into the playoff game by Kevin Salceda, which reverberated among the hardly-warmed-up Vikings on their new home turf.

Also, Coach Marcos Gonzales' squad, the defending Division 4 champions, came in with a sparkling 16-3-2 record to gain the number-one seed, and seemed likely to duplicate last year's appearance in the title game after playing Del Norte, the fifth seed.

But in an increasingly contested, physical contest, well-played and at a fast tempo in the playoff atmosphere, senior Antonio Sorano, who had shoved Viking defender Max Leonard after Leonard flipped him the ball before a corner kick only a short time before, rifled a shot into the upper right corner of the goal with 15:15 left in the second half on the scoreboard for a 2-1 Del Norte lead.

In the ensuing nervous time, with La Jolla furiously trying to get the ball into attacking position, keeper Tai Nguyen strayed far in front of the goal to help get the ball downfield. Finally, in compensation time, sophomore Cooper Lachenbruh made a kick from midfield that sailed far over Nguyen--pulled way out from the goal--and into the net, marking a 3-1 advantage and the end of the game.

"I think we had a really great season," said Keeling, a senior playing his last high school game, after the conclusion. "It sucks when you let in three goals."

Said Jose Bello, a defender, "We went through a big game, with amazing teammates. We had a great season. I will never forget it."

David O'Rielly, Del Norte head coach, still breathing in the victory right after the handshakes between teams, when asked how his team succeeded, said, "Hard work all year. Our plan was to get hot before the playoffs and get a streak.

"Our bench gives us depth.

"They're (La Jolla) a good team." O'Rielly gave the hosts plaudits.