LJ b soccer 0, SDA 1

By Ed Piper

La Jolla suffered its first home loss this season Thurs., Dec. 7, giving up a lone goal to visiting San Dieguito Academy in the second half after going into the locker room at halftime with a scoreless tie.

Striker Luis Goehler had one spectacular attempt at the goal in the first half. On the dead run, he took a pass on the head, bopping it ahead of him with his noggin, then blasting a shot with his right foot that slammed off the crossbar near the middle, narrowly missing. The La Jolla crowd made considerable noise over that one.


Then, in the 26th minute, Goehler fired a cannon shot from straight on to the right post. His shot curved just to the outside of the post, again a narrow miss. The Vikings were unable to score in the half.

"I thought we were the better team," said captain Marco Furlanis, who serves as captain with Goehler. "Throughout the game, we dominated with possession and we had many chances to score. They (SDA) got a lucky goal with one mistake, but sometimes it happens. No one is perfect."

Head coach Marcos Gonzales sent his Vikings into a 4-3-3 defense against the Mustangs, with junior Kevin Mojica in goal and Goehler, hailing from Halle, Germany, out front of the offense.

Starting wings were Calvin Hyytinen on the left, "Mad Max" Leonard (assistant coach Victor Zendejas' nickname for him) on the right.

Pablo Jativa, in his second year on the Vikings from Spain, plays just behind Goehler, with Jack MacDorman and Furlanis playing as center midfielders. Caleb Saul also played at center mid.

Behind these and in front of Mojica on La Jolla's defense, Joe Wineman started at center back, with Nick Goehler, Luis' younger brother and a member of the football team, on the left and Miles Matalon, a football receiver, on the right. Matalon exhibited his athleticism with a high-leaping header on a ball in the first period.

Furlanis also said, "I felt that it (the loss to SDA) was a learning experience for the new team. We have a lot to work on, but I feel it's going to be a good year."