Despite a fierce second-half effort from Golden Valley, the Hart boys’ soccer team kept its perfect Foothill League campaign alive on Thursday.
“We got four more games left, and all we’re looking to do is do something that I don’t think has been done before, go a whole season undefeated, with all wins,” said Hart senior Diego Rodriguez after scoring the lone goal in Thursday’s 1-0 shutout at Hart High. “We’re not done yet.”
After controlling the tempo for the first 10 minutes of the game, the Hart Hawks (11-1, 8-0) found themselves in a favorable position about nine minutes in with a throw-in near the Golden Valley (6-6-2, 4-3-1) goal. Senior Cameron Smith used one of his trademark long throws, which was headed on into the path of Rodriguez in front of the net.
Hart head coach Alex Bernal said it isn’t ideal for the only goal to come from a set piece, but that it’s what was needed to get the win.
“They’re part of the game, so we’ll take them,” Bernal said. “But we have a squad where we shouldn’t only be creating opportunities from that, and we didn’t. We had some opportunities where we just had to be more lethal in front of the goal.”
Golden Valley head coach Stephen Evison had a similar message after watching his team continually threaten the Hart net throughout the second half.
The Grizzlies had a couple of close chances, including an indirect free kick inside the penalty box after Hart senior keeper Marco Gonzalez picked up a pass that the Hawks claimed should have been legal after it hit a Golden Valley player before getting to Gonzalez.
“That’s just the way soccer is, right?” Evison said. “I mean, you could take 15 shots and miss all of them, and then the next game, you could take the same 15 shots and you could make four of them.”
Physical battles were taking place all over the field on Thursday. Multiple players went down with injuries, most of them minor but one that could prove to be huge for the rest of the season.
Hart senior Kevin Melquiades went down in the first half with appeared to be a right ankle injury. He left the field without putting any weight on that leg and could be seen on crutches after the game.
“I don’t think there’s a player tougher than Kevin, so hopefully he can continue to play,” Bernal said. “He’s a model player for the program. It’s unfortunate, but hopefully we can get him back on the field.”
The Hawks are just one win away from securing an eighth consecutive league title. They’ve scored 27 goals in league play and allowed just eight, an average of one per game.
Hart can clinch the title on Tuesday when the Hawks travel to play at Saugus, but Rodriguez said the Hawks are looking at bigger goals beyond that as they get ready for a playoff run.
“We’re looking, honestly, hopefully to do it all this season,” Rodriguez said. “I think we have a really good chance this season, and we just take it day by day, game by game.”
Golden Valley is sitting in fourth place, just behind Saugus and West Ranch and ahead of Valencia, after Thursday’s games as the Grizzlies look to secure a playoff spot. Evison said having three home games out of four left in the regular season should bode well for his team as he looks to guide them to second place for the second straight year.
The Grizzlies are slated to host Canyon on Tuesday.
“I want to redo what we did last year,” Evison said. “I think with how we played today, if we could just replicate that and insert ourselves the way we did, I think we could probably run the table.”
Two Foothill League games were postponed on Thursday due to the Hughes Fire in Castaic. The Valencia boys were set to travel to Castaic while the Valencia girls were set to host Castaic, but both schools were closed on Thursday and the games did not occur.
Those games have been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, according to Valencia High athletic director Mike Killinger.
Here’s what else happened in Foothill League soccer action on Thursday:
Boys’ soccer
Saugus 1, West Ranch 1: The Saugus Centurions (2-2-4, 4-1-4) remained in second place in the league after their fourth draw of the campaign, 1-1, on Thursday at West Ranch (7-4-4, 4-2-3).
Lincoln Fritz scored for Saugus while Logan Sanchez got the goal for West Ranch.
Both teams are nearing postseason qualification. Only Valencia (5-5-1, 2-5-1) in fifth place can knock off one of the three teams above the Vikings.
Girls’ soccer
Hart 9, Golden Valley 0: The Hart Hawks (10-5-1, 8-0) routed the Golden Valley Grizzlies on the road Thursday, 9-0.
Gianna Costello scored four times for Hart while Makenna Herrick and Kylah Bennett each scored twice. Adrielle Salvador also hit the back of the net and provided two assists.
Bennet and Julia Willis also recorded two assists each.
Saugus 5, West Ranch 2: The Saugus Centurions (12-2-3, 7-1-1) are keeping pace with Hart after beating West Ranch (4-6-3, 3-5-1) at home Thursday, 5-2.
Makea Leonard recorded a hat trick for Saugus. Makenna Blum and Emily Thompson each scored twice.
Leonard and Blum each provided one assist, as did Mia Magin.
