~ Game Highlights ~

CIF Playoff Game: Esperanza vs. Newbury Park HS
February 15, 2008

Varsity -
Esperanza - 2 Newbury Park - 4

The Aztecs traveled to Newbury Park for the 1st round of the CIF playoffs. The Panthers scored 1st at 28 minutes into the game when a Panther forward received a pass near the box and took it around an Aztec defender for a close range shot for the goal. Eight minutes later, an aggressive Aztec team dominated play with shots on goal coming from Pellegrini, Caudillo, Nikolic and Shelanski. With the ball in our offensive end of the field, Alex Ashbaugh sent a beautiful cross to the front of the net to an oncoming Michael Rossi who sent the ball back into the net for a score. The remainder of the period saw standout defensive play from Scott Davidson, Billy Petrossi, Andrew Bristow and Martin Barajas. Jerrod Stith kept busy in goal as the Panthers had numerous offensive drives and shots on goal. The Aztecs had near scores from a Scott Davidson header and Justin Johnson getting around a last defender and taking a shot that the Panther goalie handled. The period ended 1-1.

The Panthers started off the 2nd period energized with several scoring opportunities that fell short. At 29 minutes, the Aztecs had back-to-back corner kicks from Jaimeson Hearne that nearly scored. Eddie Nevin also came close with a shot on goal. With 15 minutes remaining in the game, the Panthers moved the ball inside the box and had a shot that brought Stith out from the goal. The Panthers then got the deflection and headered it back to the net with Michael Rossi sending the ball back for the save. However, another Panther was waiting and headered it right back in for the goal. With less than 2 minutes remaining, the Aztecs running on adrenalin had a set shot on goal from a Panther penalty. Austin Caudillo sent the ball to the front of the net and a leaping Troy Nikolic headered the ball in for the score. The period ended with a tie score 2-2.

Two ten minutes periods followed with no scores from either team. Both periods were filled with excitement as both teams were desperate to hit the winning goal. The game was sent into a golden goal period with the 1st team to score to determine the victory. The period was filled with aggressive play and a desire to win. The Aztec pride was never so strong as the boys never gave up and gave their all and best effort. The period ended with no scoring, sending the game into penalty kicks to decide the winner. The Panther kickers came out on top and Newbury Park came away with the victory. The final score was 4-2.

As the season ends the Aztec players can hold their heads high as they will forever be a part of Esperanza Soccer History with another successful league play and advancement into the CIF playoffs. To the Coaches: a special thanks for providing an opportunity and experience that the boys will never forget. To the Senior Players: Alex Ashbaugh, Martin Barajas, Scott Davidson, Christopher Duran, Andrew Gonzales, Alex Hearne, Justin Johnson, Jared Martin, Eddie Nevin, Troy Nikolic, Billy Petrossi, and Robby Shelansky -- your contributions, hard work and efforts on the field will be treasured memories for each of your parents. Good luck to all the Seniors and never give up on your dreams as they will shape your future.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs completed their season with a 3-1 victory over the Newport Harbor Sailors on Friday, February 8th at Newport Harbor in a make-up game that was rained out earlier in the season.

The Aztecs, knowing they need the win for the title, came out with passion and purpose. They got on the board fast as Jason Santos, playing midfield for the first time this season, sent a beautiful entry pass to the front of the net where Drew Hontz headed it in for the quick 1-0 lead. That is where the half ended.

In the second half Esperanza took command as they continued to pressure the Sailor goalie. At one point, there was an apparent foul in the box by a Sailor defender, that was not called. However, during the confusion, TJ Thelen, not hearing a whistle, continued playing hard and knocked in a goal from the top of the 18 yard line on an impressive rocket shot.

Santos finished the Aztec scoring as he took a pass from Scott Rice in the middle of the field and scored on a nice arching shot from 30 yards out. The Sailors scored on a late goal to make the final 3-1. Strong goaltending from David Sullivan and Sergei Ciano frustrated the Sailors the entire game.

The Aztecs finished the league season with a 6-3-1 record to win the title, while achieving a 13-6-1 record overall.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs came out flat and were completely outplayed as they lost for the second time this season against the Edison Chargers 4-0 on Wednesday, February 6th.

The Aztecs had a tough time matching up against the confident Chargers. Edison came out and quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game. The Aztec defense stiffened after that to keep the score close until deep in the second half when the chargers added to their lead with two late goals.

Esperanza is now 5-3-1 in League and 12-6-1 overall. Even with the loss, the Aztecs can still win the Sunset League Championship with a victory over Newport Harbor in a make-up game on Friday, February 8th.

Newport Harbor hosted the Aztecs in a game that was up for grabs to the very end. The Aztecs played aggressively throughout the first period with scoring opportunities from shots by Jaimeson Hearne(2), Austin Cauldillo, Scott Davidson, and a header attempt by Troy Nikolic. The Aztec defense held strong deflecting balls and sending them up field. Scott Davidson, Billy Petrossi and Andrew Bristow were standouts defensively. Martin Barajas did a good job controlling midfield. Towards the end of the period, Scott Davidson took a penalty kick from long range and sent it near the box with Michael Rossi sending it back into the net for a goal. The period ended 1-0.

The second period was an even exchange for both teams. Newport Harbor nearly scored on at least four occasions but the Aztec defense knocked down passes that almost got through to their forwards. Aztec players Daniel Borst and Jared Martin received yellow cards on questionable calls. Austin Caudillo brought consistent energy as he was involved in most of the offensive drives. The game ended with the Aztecs coming away with a victory 1-0.

Marina hosted the Aztecs in a game that frustrated both teams as they both couldn't generate any offensive momentum and seemed to just kick the balls back and forth up and down the field. The Aztecs had an early near score from a cross from Andrew Gonzales to Jaimeson Hearne. Martin Barajas had two shots on goal that fell short off the mark. Eric Pellegrini also had a shot on goal. There was good defensive play during the 1st period from Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson and Alex Ashbaugh. Austin Caudillo-Smyth was active in the middle knocking down Marina passes and controlling the midfield. The 1st period ended 0-0.

The 2nd period started with an early score from Marina as one of their forwards crossed a pass to a runner that received the pass for a close up shot. Fifteen minutes into the match Austin Caudillo scored on a shot from the top of the box. Jared Stith did an excellent job in goal stopping a sure goal when he challenged a lone Marina forward and deflected a hard shot. Twenty five minutes into the period Marina scored when a forward dribbled the ball to the right side of the goal and crossed a beautiful pass to the net to an awaiting player that headered the ball into the net. The Aztecs were left stunned and the remainder of the period played desperate soccer ,however they couldn't finish any offensive goal opportunities. The game ended in a loss 1-2.

On Friday, the JV Aztecs traveled to Huntington Beach to play the Marina High School JV team on a cool and windy afternoon. Esperanza came into the game in first place in Sunset League

Marina proved to be a formidable opponent throughout the game. The JV Aztecs spent most of the first half pressuring the Marina defense as wave after wave of offense surged into Marina territory. The Marina fullbacks continued to hold off the Aztec offense holding them scoreless in the first half.

The second half was more of the same as the Aztecs tried corner sprints, diagonal crosses and side to side switches of the ball and offense but could not breakthrough for a goal. Although the shots on goal favored the Aztecs, the Marina team was able to escape with a 0-0 tie.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs continued their winning ways in Sunset League play by besting the Marina Vikings 3-1 on Friday, February 1st at Marina.

The Vikings scored first to take a 1-0 lead but the Aztecs came right back when Moises Alonado found a wide open Austin Lent who finished nicely to tie the score. The score remained 1-1 at the half.

In the second half the Aztecs took control as just 10 minutes into the half as the ball was kicked in front of the net and headed by Chris Berkley to Scott Rice who headed it to Drew Hontz who put it in the net. Great teamwork and great passing!

The Aztecs finished the scoring as Lent returned the favor and assisted on a goal by Alonado. The Aztecs are now 5-2-1 in League and 12-5-1 overall. They finish up the season with a game at Edison on February 6th and then their final game is a make-up game at Newport Harbor on Friday, February 8th.

The Aztecs hosted Fountain Valley in the final home game, which was also Senior Night. Fountain Valley jumped out to an early lead scoring in the first five minutes of the game. The Barons came out aggressively and passed the ball across and back and forth in front of the net and finally shot it in from close range. The Aztecs countered with good ball movement up top from Justin Johnson, however, Fountain Valley defenders deflected close passes near the box and cleared the balls back to their offensive side of the field. Troy Nikolic got his head on the ball and near the top of the box but nobody was there to finish it. With 1 minute remaining, Fountain Valley took advantage of a defensive breakdown as a midfielder passed a long ball with the forward taking it on the run and just outran the defenders and chipped the ball in the net. The first period ended 2-0.

In another contest that matched two large, strong teams against each other, the JV Aztec’s hosted Fountain Valley at Esperanza on Wednesday. If you arrive a few minutes late to this one, you missed a lot of action as the Aztec’s scored twice in the opening minutes of the game to put the Baron’s in a hole.

At the three minute mark, Jonathan Watkins deflected a direct kick from Roberto Diaz for a quick 1-0 lead. Then minutes later, Evan Roche found the back of the cage on a centering pass from Michael Doyen. Just that quickly, the score was 2-0 and the Aztecs were on their way to another conference victory. To make it interesting, late in the first half, Fountain Valley got a break when a hard shot trickled into the corner of the goal off the hands of Aztec goalie Matt Underwood.

On Wednesday, January 30th the Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs hosted the Fountain Valley Barons. The Aztecs, for the second time this season, came on strong to defeat the Barons 6-1.

The game was tight in the first half as both teams had opportunities to score. The Aztecs got on the board first as Austin Lent sent a nice corner shot in front of the net which was then headed by three Aztecs, Scott Rice to Nick Duran and finally to Chris Berkley who put the ball in the net for the 1-0 lead. The Barons came back to tie the score just 7 minutes later. The half ended in a 1-1 tie.

The second half was all Aztecs as they put 5 goals in the net to pull away from the Barons. Lent led the way with two goals followed by single goals each from Drew Hontz and Moises Alonado.

The Aztecs improved to 4-2-1 in League and 11-5-1 overall. Their next game is Friday, February 1st at Marina.

Los Al hosted the Aztecs in a game the Aztecs desperately need to win to stay in league contention. During the first period, both teams played conservatively and tactically with lots of ball movement and with each team wary of making a mistake. The Aztec defense was sharp with Billy Petrossi, Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson and Michael Rossi playing their usual consistent dominance in the back. Midway into the period, shots on goal came from Martin Barajas and an excellent cross from Justin Johnson to an awaiting header from Robby Shelansky that nearly scored. Shelansky continued his aggressive play and got into position for a close shot that resulted in the Aztecs getting on the board. Now energized, the Aztecs continued to dominate the first period by controlling the middle of the field knocking down Los Al crosses and passes and sending the balls wide to Eric Pellegrini who took the ball down the line and then passes up to the forwards. With minutes remaining, Los Al's speedy forwards managed to get around the Aztec defense and scored from a close range shot. The period ended 1-1.

The second period will go down as one of the most exciting of the season. The Aztecs were desperate for a win and kept the tempo and aggressive play up and took several shots on goal. Crosses to the net came from Eddie Nevin, Troy Nikolic, and Daniel Borst. Los Al matched aggressive play and within 10 minutes a forward broke free and with a goal in sight challenged Jerrod Stith and lost with Jerrod knocking the shot down and preventing a sure goal. At midway into the period, Los Al broke the tie with a shot that scored. With their backs against the wall, the Aztec desire and will to win energized the team and they continued playing brilliant team ball with Daniel Borst controlling the middle of the field and playing the balls up to the offensive side of the field for scoring opportunities. Eddie Nevin played great defense knocking down deep balls and taking the balls to midfield and then crossing balls near the net. With 13 minutes remaining, the Aztecs changed their offensive play sending three forwards up top. With continued passing dominance and ball control on the offensive end, Eddie Nevin crossed the ball in front of the net with Troy Nikolic out-jumping the Los Al defenders with a perfect header for the score. With continued momentum, the Aztec Pride took advantage and within five minutes Alex Ashbaugh crossed a ball near the net and Robby Shelansky was in the perfect position to shoot it back into the net for a score. With mere minutes remaining, the Aztec defense held strong and the team came away with an impressive, exciting come-from-behind victory, 3-2.

Esperanza’s second league game of the season against archrivals Los Alamitos ended without a score by either team in a hard-fought game on a muddy field at Los Alamitos High School.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs lost their second league game of the season as the Los Alamitos Griffins dominated them from the start to win 3-0 Friday, January 18th on the Griffin's home field. The Aztecs came out flat and were immediately down 1-0 as the Griffins pressured the defense with the speed and strength. The Griffins scored their second goal on a nice corner kick that they put in the back of the net. At this point, the Aztecs stepped up their game and played Los Al evenly for the rest of the first half. They had an opportunity to halve the score, but Moises Alonado's hard shot went over the net.

In the second half, the Aztec's only real opportunity came on a beautiful free kick from Jason Santos that Scott Rice headed toward the goal, only to have the Griffin goalie knock it above the net. The Griffins then broke away on a run that scored their third goal and effectively put the game away. The Aztecs are now 3-2-1 in League and 10-5-1 overall. Their next game is Friday, January 25th at Newport Harbor.

The Aztecs hosted Edison in a game that was to break a three-way tie for 1st place. The Aztecs played the 1st period aggressively with lots of scoring opportunities. Shots on goal came from Billy Petrossi, Daniel Borst (2), Eddie Nevin, Robby Shelansky and header attempts from Chris Duran, Eric Pellegrini and Troy Nikolic. Eddie Nevin and Daniel Borst took kicks on penalties that also came close to scores. Justin Johnson played well and kept Edison defenders busy just trying to contain him. The Aztec defense again was great keeping Edison from scoring. Billy Petrossi, Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson and Martin Barajas played excellent defense. Jarrod Stith made a great stop on a hard Edison shot that nearly scored. The period ended 0-0.

The second period was equal play from both teams, both playing strong defense. The Aztecs nearly scored early when Justin Johnson crossed a ball in front of the net that Robby Shelansky nearly scored for a header. Robby Shelansky also had another shot on goal along with shots by Martin Barajas, Troy Nikolic, Jared Martin and Daniel Borst. The period ended 0-0 and the game continued for two 10 minute overtime quarters.

The first overtime period went fast with both teams tired but struggling to score. Eddie Nevin was very active knocking down balls and sending balls up field. With little time remaining, Edison scored when they got around the defense in what appeared to be an off sides play and took a close range shot. The period ended 0-1. The 2nd period was high energy and desperation play with the Aztecs moving the balls and coming close on several occasions. Questionable calls from the refs frustrated the Aztecs and Edison capitalized again scoring two goals that were controversial. The Aztecs continued hard play with Troy Nikolic scoring on a hard shot in the box. With minutes remaining, the Aztecs sent a ball in front of the net for a scramble with Chris Duran striking the ball off the top bar with Daniel Borst shooting it in, however, the ref called it off sides on another questionable call. The game ended with Edison winning 3-1.

Driving in a close-range shot, sophomore defender Roberto Diaz scored in the early minutes of Esperanza’s first league match-up against the Edison Chargers, establishing a lead by the Aztecs that the Chargers never overcame. Leif Olson followed up with a successful shot on a long ball from Jeff Price, taking the Aztecs to 2-0. Shots were also taken by Kevin Kim, Michael Doyen, and Kit Lescault.

Edison took four shots throughout the game, and finally scored one goal on a penalty kick near the end of the second half, bringing the final score to 2-1 in favor of the Aztecs. Strong defensive play by Roberto Diaz, Carter Warwick, Jonathan Watkins, Jeff Price and Aaron Porter contributed to Esperanza’s win.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs lost their first league game of the season as the Edison Chargers came from behind for a 4-2 victory on Wednesday, January 16th on Esperanza's home field.

The Aztecs, going with the wind, opened up a quick 1-0 lead just five minutes into the game as Damon Baker found TJ Thelen in the front of the net for the goal. That was followed by a goal from Austin Lent on a free kick. After that it was all Chargers as they scored just before the half to make it a 2-1 game.

The second half began with the blustery winds picking up which aided the Chargers as they continued to pressure the Aztec defense. A spectacular save by Davis Sullivan kept the Aztecs in the lead early, but the Chargers were able to score three unanswered goals to win going away.

The Aztecs fell to 3-1-1 in League and 10-4-1 overall. They begin the second half of the Sunset League season with a rematch against Los Alamitos on Friday, January 18th. Their first meeting ended in a 0-0 tie.

The Aztecs hosted the Vikings from Marina High School. The Aztecs started off strong with ball control and offensive passing. The Aztecs failed to score early on shots from Pellegrini and Jaimeson Hearne that fell short. Defensively Martin Barajas played excellent defense and deflected Viking passes in midfield. Scott Davidson, Eddie Nevin and Michael Rossi played consistent defense knocking down balls and keeping the Vikings at a safe distance from the net. With sixteen minutes remaining in the period, Justin Johnson received a pass and then displayed his ball skills dribbling around a defensive player and then taking a shot for the first Aztec score. The remainder of the period was hard fought defense with both teams moving the balls up and down the field. Billy Petrossi played excellent defense deflecting balls and passing balls up field. The second period was more of a defensive match with both teams able to move the ball offensively and taking shots, however, both teams failed to score. Robbie Jepson played strong defense and seemed to be everywhere knocking down balls and passing forward to Daniel Borst who took control of the middle of the field . Daniel Borst brought energy and skill to the midfield passing balls to the outside and up field to the forwards giving the Aztecs scoring opportunities, however, the Vikings were able to prevent any scores. The Aztecs came extremely close to scoring when Chris Duran took a ball to the right of the net and crossed it to the front of the net where Robby Shelansky put a head on it and just missed. Eric Pellegrini also nearly scored on an uncontested opportunity in front of the net that was chipped just over the net. With thirteen minutes left in the period, the Vikings capitalized on a defensive breakdown and scored. During the period, one of our outside midfielders received a red card, and the Aztecs played a man down for the rest of the game. The player will be ineligible to play in the games against Edison and Los Alamitos. The period ended 1-1.

Two overtime 10 minutes periods followed. Both teams continued aggressive play at both ends, however, neither team was able to score in the overtime periods, leaving a 1-1 tie.

Junior forward Andrew Newton rejoined the JV team and took part in 2 goals to beat Marina High School 2-0 in their first meeting of league play this season. Newton kicked in a ball headed by Leif Olson in the first half and assisted Jeremy Stith in a second goal near the end of the second half, bringing the final score to 2-0. Additionally, shots were taken by Aaron Porter, Evan Roche, Kazuki Matsumoto, and Jeff Price.

Keeper Matt Underwood made four saves throughout the game, and defender Jonathan Watkins gets credit for a save as well, driving a shot out of the box with a flying header. Shout-outs for strong defensive play also go to Roberto Diaz, Jonathan Watkins and Jeff Price.

The Esperanza Frosh/Soph Aztecs continued their winning ways in Sunset League play by besting the Marina Vikings 4-1 on Friday, January 11th at Esperanza. The Aztecs opened up the scoring early in the game as Scott Rice chipped a long pass up the middle of the field to Moises Alonado, who made a nice play to score the first goal of the game. The Vikings responded quickly to tie it on a corner kick that was put in front of the net and one-timed in for the goal. The Aztecs came back as Rice recorded his second assist of the game on a corner kick that TJ Thelen deposited in the net. The Aztecs then expanded the lead on an assist from Alonado to Chris Berkley who finished nicely for a 3-1 lead, which ended the first half.

The Aztecs traveled to Fountain Valley hoping to maintain the momentum following last week’s first league win. The Barons stunned the Aztecs with an early score 2 minutes into the match. Fountain Valley made it look easy when the Aztec defense seemed somewhat disorganized. The Aztecs followed with ball control for much of the first half with shots and long throw ins from Jaimeson Hearne that fell directly in front of the net with both teams scrambling and near scores for the Aztecs. At 13 minutes, the Aztecs scored when Michael Rossi deflected a ball and moved it past the center of the field when he launched a long shot that sailed in on-target and scored. Eddie Nevin and Scott Davidson did good defensive work as the Barons had several scoring opportunities as they continued to take the ball on their offensive side of the field. At 23 minutes into the period, Justin Johnson nearly scored on an excellent header that just fell short. Martin Barajas had a good first period as he shut down the middle and started the offensive drives. The first period ended 1-1.

The second period was evenly played with both teams moving the balls up and down the field. Near the end of the period, Troy Nikolic received a pass and moved it in front of the box where he passed it over to Johnson who took the ball around a defender and shot the ball for a score. The remainder of the game was intense as Fountain Valley had 3 separate attempts near their goal and came close to scoring. Billy Petrossi and Robbie Jepson played aggressive defense and deflected balls outside the box. With little time remaining, Fountain nearly scored, however, the Aztec defenders held strong and protected the goal. The game ended with an Aztec victory 2-1.

On Wednesday, January 9th the Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs traveled to Fountain Valley to take on the always tough Barons of Fountain Valley. The Aztecs, after getting down quickly 1-0, came back strong and won going away, 5-1. The Aztecs started slowly as the Barons were more aggressive at the point of attack. This aggressiveness resulted in a foul in the box by the Aztecs that allowed the Barons to score first on a penalty kick. This seemed to wake up the Aztecs as shortly after falling behind they came back strong as Drew Hontz made a beautiful pass to Chris Berkley who headed it toward the goal only to be stopped on a nice save by the Fountain Valley goalie. However, the goalie was unable to hold on to the ball, as Austin Lent, who was in perfect position for the rebound, knocked the ball in for a 1-1 tie, which is how the first half ended.

The Aztecs hosted the Sailors from Newport harbor on a cold rainy evening. Coming off the season opener with a loss the Aztecs were determined to play better and with more enthusiasm. Two minutes into the match Alex Ashbaugh took a corner kick that fell short of an early goal. The Aztecs continued aggressive play with Martin Barajas and Jared Martin deflecting Sailor passes in the midfield and sending the balls wide to outside midfielders Alex Ashbaugh and Chris Duran. The Aztecs had shots on goal from Eric Pellegrini, Martin Barajas and a near breakaway from Robby Shelansky. With the rain falling, each shot was a potential goal. Eddie Nevin and Scott Davidson and Rossi played consistent defense and Jarrod Stith made a great save in front of the net. With two minutes remaining, the Sailors capitalized on a defensive breakdown and scored. The 1st period ended 0-1.

Esperanza’s JV made a strong showing in their second league game, shutting out the Newport Harbor Sailors 3-0 at the EHS Varsity Field on Friday, January 4. Keeper Matt Underwood made one save, and forward Leif Olson put one in the net with an assist from Andrew Newton to bring the score to 1-0 at the end of the first half. Olson scored once more, again with an assist from Newton as well as Dan Borst. Underwood made two more saves in the second half, assisted once by Jeff Price. In the final two minutes of the game, Jeremy Stith fired a successful shot, bringing the final score to 3-0.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs won their first league game, 3-2, over the Newport Harbor Sailors on a cold overcast day at Esperanza High School on Friday, January 4th.

The Sailors hung tough, but the Aztecs dominated most of the game. The Aztecs opened the scoring on a nice up field pass from TJ Thelen to Austin Lent who scored just five minutes into the game. Five minutes later, Thelen scored a goal of his own on a nice corner kick from Scott Rice. The Sailors came back with a goal on a penalty kick as one of the Aztec defenders grabbed a player in the box and was called for the foul. This made the score 2-1 at the half.

The second half was led by the defense of both teams until Rice put another corner kick in front of the net where Thelen scored his second goal of the game. The Sailors scored their final goal on yet another penalty kick when and Aztec defender had a hand ball in the box. Overall the Aztecs defense led by goalies Chris Berkley and Sergei Ciano played well keeping the Sailors from scoring from the field.

The Aztecs hosted the Griffins from Los Alamitos in a game which turned out to be one sided in favor of Los AL. The Aztecs started the game flat while Los Al was energized and determined from the sound of the whistle. Andrew Bristow had an early cross to the front of the net , however, Los Al defenders were exactly where they needed to be and deflected the ball. The Griffins capitalized on aggressive passing and tactical play moving the ball up field. Los Al scored their 1st goal from a corner kick to the front of the net with the ball passed to an open Griffin for an uncontested shot and score within 10 minutes into the game. Six minutes later Los Al scored again from a long pass up field to a forward that managed to get an open shot for another score. The Aztecs appeared stunned from the early scoring drives and the defensive line continued to break-down and Los Al continued to dominate the game at their offensive end of the field. Los Al scored again with 15 minutes left in the 1st period. With ten minutes remaining in the period Justin Johnson's was flagged with a questionable yellow card which added to the Aztecs bad luck. With minutes remaining Troy Nikolic had a shot on goal and Alex Ashbaugh took a shot that was wide right. Los Al returned with another uncontested wide open shot for their 4th goal. The 1st period ended 4-0.

The 2nd period seemed to be an even exchange of play. The Aztec Defensive play from Scott Davidson and Eddie Nevin deflected balls and Martin Barajas and Jared Martin controlled the midfield and started passing the balls to the sides with Chris Duran moving the balls up to the offensive side of the field and passing forward to Aztec forwards. The Griffins continued their aggressive play and worked the ball near the net and scored for the 5th time. The Aztecs didn't give up and seemed determined not to be shut out in the season opener as they took several shots at goal and had momentum for much of the 2nd period. With half of the period gone, Troy Nikolic received a pass and pushed forward by himself and then took a difficult shot with a defender close by he was able to score. The Aztecs followed with Eric Pellegrini, Robby Shelansky, Eddie Nevin and Jared Martin taking shots on goal all which came up short. Billy Petrossi and Martin Barajas finished with strong defensive play and shut down the Griffins to only one goal in the 2nd period. The game ended with Los Al winning 5-1.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs opened up their League season against the Los Alamitos Griffins on Wednesday, January 2nd at Esperanza High School. The game was hard fought all the way by both teams as they played to a 0-0 tie.

Both teams played very physically as the defenses dominated on both sides of the field. The Aztecs led by goalies Chris Berkley and Sergei Ciano stopped the Griffins at every turn. However, the Aztecs were stopped by the Griffin defense at the other end as shots were hard to come by. In the first half the Aztecs only got off three shots, while the Griffins came up with five.

The Aztec defense led by Nick Duran, Brayden Hall, Scott Rice, Jason Santos, and Blake Vaughan continued to frustrate the Griffins who lost their composure in the second half and were hit with three yellow cards. The Aztecs had their opportunities in the second half with numerous free kicks and one corner, but were not able to dent the Griffin goal.

The Aztecs are now 0-0-1 in league and 7-3-1 overall. Their next game is Friday, January 5th against Newport Harbor at Esperanza.

The Aztecs hosted the Timberwolves from Northwood H.S. on a cold rainy evening. The Aztecs started early with aggressive ball movement and nearly scored 2 minutes into the game with a corner kick from Jaime Hearne . Minutes later Eddie Nevin took a penalty kick following a foul to Alex Hearne. Eddie sent the ball in front of the net for another near score . The Aztec Defenders led by Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson and Andrew Bristow shut down the defensive end of the field letting nothing get close to the net. At 20 minutes, the Aztecs had three shots in a row from Troy, Jared Martin and Martin Barajas,. All shots were close but somehow the Aztecs came up empty handed. At 25 minutes into the period, Justin Johnson was flagged with a questionable yellow card. Robby Shelansky entered the game with his speed and aggressive play. He was running down a long pass towards the net when the Northwood Goalkeeper kicked the ball away with force with Robby still advancing the ball. It ricocheted off of Robby back into the net for an Aztec score. The remainder of the 1st period, the Aztecs controlled the ball and had momentum but just couldn't put the ball in the net. The Aztecs had near scores from shots by Jaime Hearne and Eric Pellegrini. The half ended 1-0.

The 2nd period was a wet and wild shoot out. With footing a problem, both clubs had difficulty moving the ball and taking decent shots. The entire period the Aztecs played very defensive oriented soccer careful to not make any mistakes that would cost them the lead. Andrew Bristow did an outstanding job knocking down passes and moving the ball up the sidelines and making passes to the midfielders. Near the end of the game, Northwood came close with passes that got through for close shot attempts, however, Aztec goalkeeper Jerrod Stith easily deflected the shots. The game ended with the drenched Aztecs on top winning the game 1-0.

The Esperanza Aztec JV team took on the Northwoods High School JV team in the last non-conference game of the season on Tuesday. The match started out fast as the Aztecs scored in the first minute on a goal by Dan Borst from a perfect crossing pass by Andrew Newton. Robbie Jepson started the play by intercepting a clearing pass and feeding the ball to Newty to set up the goal.

That apparently woke up the Northwoods team who began to play with more intensity and pressure. Five minutes later, the Northwoods JV team tied the score on a corner kick that missed the box but was crossed back in from the opposite side and tucked into the short side of the goal.

The first half was dominated by strong defensive play by midfielders Matt Nelson, Kevin Hsu, Kit Lescault, Aaron Porter and Even Roche. Defenders Jonathan Watkins, Carter Warwick and Roberto Diaz were solid in front of goalie Matt Underwood and Matt Parker at sweeper.

The teams traded opportunities through the match with the Esperanza team outshooting the Northwoods team 9-3. Forwards J. J. Bohme, Kazuki Matsumoto, Leif Olson and Jeremy Stith pressured the Northwoods defense for a majority of the second half until the defense finally broke down.

At the 48 minute mark of the game, Esperanza broke through to take the lead on a goal by Kevin Kim from a feed by Robbie Jepson. The goal was set up by Michael Doyen who did the hard work to wrestle the ball from Northwoods and find Robbie open at the 18 yard marker. The game ended with an Esperanza victory 2-1.

In a scheduling fluke due to playing in the Marina tournament over the weekend, the Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs played the Northwood Timberwolves on Tuesday, December 18th right after losing to them in a shootout just three days prior. The Aztecs proved that losing to the Timberwolves in the tournament was a fluke as they thoroughly dominated Northwood in a 4-1 win.

The Aztecs began the scoring as just five minutes into the game Drew Hontz navigated the traffic in front of the net to score the first goal to put Esperanza up 1-0. Hontz continued to dominate the Timberwolf defense almost single handedly as he found TJ Thelen for the assist and scored his second goal of the game with a beautiful cross cage shot to give the Aztecs a commanding 3-0 lead at the half.

Superb goaltending by Sergei Ciano stopped the Timberwolves at almost every turn. Early in the second half, Northwood did get on the board to make the score 3-1, but the Aztecs came back quickly with a goal as a result of a corner kick from Scott Rice that, after being batted around in front of the net, was put in by Pablo Chavez to put the game out of reach.

The Aztecs finished the preseason with a 7-3 record as they get ready for Sunset League play with their first game against Los Alamitos on January 2nd.

Sunny skies and the perfection of a turf field provided the backdrop of another classic confrontation against the cross-town rival JV Friars. From the opening kick-off, both teams showed intensity and determination to control the game; win every battle; control every touch. Each year the Esperanza Aztecs renew acquaintances with the Servite Friars either home or away. This year, the JV Aztecs traveled to Courage Field to face a tough, well prepared Friar team.

Two minutes into the match, the JV Aztecs struck first when Kit Lescault intercepted a clearing pass and sent a through-ball across the field to Andrew Newton. Newty drove the right corner and crossed the ball to Kevin Kim who volleyed it into the back of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Although the Friars had only to official shot on goal in the first half, one of them found it in the goal in the 16th minute of play when #10 gathered a pass and drove down the right wing and scoring the tying goal. The teams traded opportunities for the remainder of the half with forwards Leif Olson, J.J Bohme, Jeremy Stith, Kevin Kim, and Kit Lescault providing constant pressure on the ball. Midfielders Evan Roche, Aaron Porter, Andrew Newton, Daniel Borst, Michael Doyen and Carter Warwick providing tight marking and pressure on the Friar offense to force numerous turnovers and opportunities. Shot on goal in the first half favored the Aztecs 5-2.

With the game tied as the second half started, Coach Vodak reminded his players to continue to pressure their defenders and the ball to create more turnovers and opportunities. Midfielders need to use the corners to spread out their defense and create openings for the offense to get more shots to the goal. This strategy worked as 9 minutes into the second half, the Aztecs drove the right side of the field and forced Friar defenders into relinquishing a corner kick. Seconds later, Roberto Diaz’s corner kick was picked off on a rebound by Michael Doyen and buried in the goal giving the Aztecs a 2-1 lead. The Aztecs strong defense anchored by Matt Underwood in goal and defenders Jeff Price, Jonathon Watkins, Roberto Diaz, Carter Warwick, Aaron Porter, Matt Parker and Robbie Jepson held off the Friars pressure and offensive for the next 26 minutes for the victory.

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs, after their morning victory against Ocean View, had the opportunity to play for 5th place against the Northwood Timberwolves on Saturday, December 15th. Unfortunately, after leading most of the game, the Aztecs gave up a late goal to tie the game at 1-1 and then lost the game in a shootout 5-4. The Aztecs took an early 1-0 lead on a pass from Chris Berkley to TJ Thelen to Austin Lent who put the ball in the net. The Aztecs led for the rest of the first half and most of the second half surviving a Timberwolf attack when Berkley, who pulled double duty as a midfielder and later as Goalie made a fantastic save to protect the lead. Finally, the Timberwolves scored on a pretty cross net shot that tied the score. The shootout was exciting as Lent, Nico De Maria, Scott Rice, and Ryan Born each made their penalty kick to put the pressure on the Northwood team. However, the Timberwolves made all five of their shots to win the game. The Aztecs finished the Marina Tournament in 6th place

The Esperanza Frosh-Soph Aztecs continued their run in the Marina tournament by facing Ocean View on the morning of December 15th. The Aztecs pulled out a 1-0 win to advance to the game for Fifth Place in the tournament. The Aztecs completely dominated the game by outshooting the Seahawks by a count of 33-2. However, at halftime the score was still tied at 0-0. The Aztecs kept up the pressure in the second half when finally Eddie Arelleno found TJ Thelen who put the ball in the back of the net. That goal was enough to carry the Aztecs on to victory.

The 2nd game for the Aztecs was against the Roadrunners from Saddleback H.S. (Santa Ana). The Aztecs spent most of the 1st period defending the goal from aggressive drives and shots on goal. Eddie Nevin and Scott Davidson had their hands full as the Roadrunners seemed to penetrate the midfield and were attacking taking close range hard shots nearly missing. Jared Stith did an outstanding job knocking down shots, however, the Aztecs just couldn't seem to get the ball past the midfield or in any position to take good shots. The 1st period ended 0-0. The 2nd period seemed to be a continuation of the 1st period play with the Roadrunners dominating the midfield and moving the ball down the field. The Aztecs found themselves chasing the Roadrunners and eventually the Roadrunners capitalized for their 1st score on a Aztec defensive breakdown. The Aztecs continued to play hard for the remainder of the period. However, they couldn't generate any offensive momentum as the roadrunners played excellent defense. The Roadrunners scored again late in the period with controlled offensive passing and hard shot just outside the box that scored. The game ended with the Roadrunners winning the game 2-0.

The Esperanza JV Aztecs won the first game of the rain delayed Marina tournament Saturday morning as they completely dominated University High School 5-0.

The morning game and rains of the previous weekend provided for a slippery field conditions. The first 15 minutes of the game saw the two teams trade possessions as they worked to find footing on a slippery field. The teams worked back and forth between the eighteens. Finally, the Aztecs broke through scoring first in the 19th minute with a goal by Evan Roche at the 5 minute mark from Daniel Borst and Jeremy Stith. Shots on goal heavily favored the Aztec team 8-3 but the score remained 1-0 going into halftime.

Six minutes into the second half, the Aztecs broke through with goal from Andrew Newton assisted by Robbie Jepson to give the team a 2-0 lead. From that point, the Aztecs never looked back and overpowered the University team both offensively and defensively. J.J. Boehme and Jonathan Watkins combined with Kevin Hsu and Kazuki Matsumoto to provide continuous pressure on the ball and the University defense and midfielders wearing them down.

At the 52 minute mark of the game, the Aztecs put the game away on a goal from Borst that was assisted by Kevin Kim. And 6 minutes later, Stith score on a rebound off a shot by Kit Lescault to cap the scoring at 4-0. The offense continued to push the ball down inside the University eighteen with shot from Leif Olsen, Matt Nelson, Hsu and Watkins as the Aztecs outshot University 11-2 in the second half. Jake Kim and Lescault worked with Matsumoto and Kevin Kim to force numerous turnovers and 9 corner kicks by the end of the match.

Matt Underwood earned his second shutout of the season with support from Jepson in the middle and Carter Warwick, Michael Doyen, Aaron Porter, Evan Roche, and Matt Parker on the outside.

In the second game of the Marina Tournament, the Aztecs faced a tough Bell Gardens High School team that brought both size and talent to the match.

From the onset, the Aztecs and Lancers traded offensive opportunities and defensive stands on both sides of the field. The Aztec midfielders were pressured to keep up with the quick attack of the Bell Gardens midfielders while the Aztec defensive used simple and conservative plays to slow the Lancer offense and regain possession. Although no scoring occurred in the first half, in the 14th minute, Robbie Jepson sent a rocket of a shot off the crossbar that the goalie had no chance of saving but was fortunate to have the crossbar make the save to keep the game 0-0 at half. Shots on goal favored the Aztecs 3-1.

Early in the second half, the Aztecs finally broke the scoreless game with a goal from Leif Olson on a pass from Andrew Newton for a 1-0 lead. And five minutes later in the 49th minute the Aztecs found the post again off a sharp angle shot by Daniel Borst. After that, the Aztec clung to a thin and precarious lead as they traded chances with the Lancers.

The Aztecs bought themselves some breathing space in the 64th minute with a goal by Jeremy Stith on a nice up field pass from Robbie Jepson. Stith gathered the ball at just over midfield and drove inside the eighteen before releasing a strong shot to the near post for the goal.

The Frosh-Soph Aztecs suffered their first defeat of the season against Westminster High School, 3-1. Westminster was a tough, quick team who got on the board 9 minutes into the game to grab the quick 1-0 lead. The Aztecs, however, were not phased as they continually fought off the attacking Westminster offense. Even down 1-0, the Aztecs out shot the opponents by a 7 to 2 margin. Finally, their hard work paid off as a hand ball in the box game gave Jason Santos of the Aztecs a shot at a penalty kick that he nailed to the back of the net for a 1-1 tie. The Aztecs had numerous opportunities as Drew Hontz, Scott Rice and Eddie Arelleno each put shots on goal only to be turned back by strong play by the Westminster goalie. As the second half wore on, strong defense by Santos, Rice, Nick Duran and Brayden Hall kept the game tied at 1-1. However, 16 minutes into the second half, Westminster got a long shot up in the blustery wind that sailed into the net for the 2-1 lead. They followed up with their third goal just 4 minutes later. The Aztecs kept playing hard but just couldn't crack the Westminster defense. This was the first loss by the Aztecs whose record dropped to 5-1. They will now play for fifth place for the tournament on December 15th. Before that, however, they will play rival Servite (at Servite) on December 12th. The Frosh/Soph will advance to the second weekend of the Marina Tournament on Saturday, December 15 and need to win both games to secure a 5th place bracket win.

The Frosh-Soph Esperanza Aztecs opened the Marina Holiday Classic on December 8th with a tough 3-0 victory over University High. It was the Aztecs third shutout of the season. The game was scoreless in the first half even though the Aztecs were dominating the game. They outshot their opponents 8-0 but were just not able to put it in the net. University came out strong in the second half, but strong defense by Nick Duran, Jason Santos and goalie David Sullivan kept them at bay. Finally, with about 8 minutes gone in the second half, Drew Hontz scored the initial goal of the contest. That goal seemed to inspire the Aztecs as they resumed their domination of the game. Their second goal came on a nice corner kick by Scott Rice that curved beautifully to Eddie Arelleno who headed it past the diving goalie. The third goal came 5 minutes later on a solo effort by Arelleno that finished off the scoring. The win put the Aztecs in the winners’ bracket to face the winner of the Mater Dei - Westminster game.

On the road the Aztecs faced the determined Sea Kings from Corona Del Mar. Early into the match the Aztecs found themselves with their backs against the wall as the Sea Kings were awarded a penalty shot just inside the box which they shot in for an early goal. The Aztecs were able to regroup with offensive drives started by outside midfielder Chris Duran who received a pass to the sideline which he dribbled in towards the net and crossed a pass to Justin Johnson who took a shot that nearly scored. The Sea Kings seemed to gain momentum as their forwards were able to pass back to each other and were taking shots on goal. Jerrod Stith was strong knocking down shots and spoiling their offensive advantages. 35 minutes into the match Aztec aggressive play earned them a corner kick with Eddie Nevin sending the ball in front of the net with a crowd of players scrambling and Jared Martin put his foot on the ball and the Sea King Goalkeeper stood frozen and watched it slowly roll into the net for a score. Speedsters Robby Shelansky and Troy Nikolic were kept in check most of the 1st period as the sea King defenders seemed to keep close watch and were somewhat successful in stopping all long passes to Troy or Robby. Other shot attempts in the 1st period came from Jaimeson Hearne, Eric Pellegrini, and Chris Duran. The period ended 1-1.

The Aztecs came out early in the 2nd period with determination and aggressive play with shots on goal from Eric Pellegrini and a hard shot from Chris Duran just missing that ricocheted off the top of the goal. The Sea Kings just wouldn't give-up and seemed to gain some momentum as they were clearly well conditioned and were making Aztec defenders Scott Davidson , Eddie Nevin and Martin Barajas work extra hard defending our goal and keeping up with the running Sea Kings. Halfway into the period bad luck came in the form of a red card issued to a defender on a questionable call. With a man down, the Aztecs were forced to alter their normal game plan with sort of a prevent defense and at the same time moving the balls up the field trying to gain an advantage for shot opportunities. Justin Johnson and Jesus Ramirez played aggressively receiving passes and moving the balls towards the net. Jaimeson Hearne battled the Sea King defenders and was able to get some crosses near the net but the balls were deflected back. With seven minutes remaining, a ball kicked in from the corner in front of a crowded net found Eric Pellegrini, who was able to position himself to get a touch on the ball and it went in for a score. The Aztec defense held strong for the remaining minutes and the Aztecs came away with a victory 2-1.

Wednesday, the Esperanza JV team traveled to Corona Del Mar in a non-conference match up with the Corona Del Mar Sharks. The JV Aztecs are 1-0-2 this season and continue to show improvement game to game as they prepare for conference play after the first of the year.

At the 3 minute mark of the first half, the Aztecs were awarded a penalty kick as Leif Olson was fouled in the box. Daniel Borst calmly converted the opportunity to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead

A few minutes later, the Aztecs scored their second goal on a nice pass from Andrew Newton to Jeremy Stith for a 2-0 lead. The lead was short lived as minutes later the Sharks scored to cut the lead to 2-1 at the 17 minute mark of the half on a penalty kick of their own.

The second half was all Esperanza Aztecs as they scored three unanswered goals to pull away from the Sharks. The first happened in the 37th minute of play as Borst took a nice centering pass from Stith and popped the ball in for a 3-1 lead.

The lead was increased to 4-1 in the 42nd minute when Borst scored his third goal of the match on a rebound off a shot from Kit Lescault. And, minutes later, Stith intercepted a crossing pass with a spectacular, mid-air, bicycle strike to Lescault that he buried for the Aztec’s fifth goal of the game.

Matt Underwood continued to perform well as the Aztec goalie with a supporting cast of defenders including sweeper Jeff Price with Michael Doyen, Roberto Diaz, Carter Warwick and Matt Parker on the edges with Robbie Jepson as stopper.

The Frosh-Soph Aztecs continued their winning ways with a convincing 6-1 win against the Corona Del Mar Sea Kings. Esperanza completely dominated the game from beginning to end. The Aztecs scored just 3 minutes into the game on a nice cross from TJ Thelen to Drew Hontz who knocked it in the net. Three minutes later Hontz found Austin Lent on the left side for an easy goal. Lent scored his second goal on a pass from Eddie Arelleno. Just before halftime, Moises Alonado passed to Ryan Born who finished nicely for the Aztecs fourth goal. With the halftime score at 4-0, the Aztecs did not let up in the second half. Alonado scored his second goal of the game on a strong run through the Sea King defense. The Aztecs finished their scoring by Hontz scoring his second goal of the game. The Sea Kings scored their goal on a header off a free kick, but it was too little, too late. The Aztecs improved to 4-0 on the season.

After battling bad weather conditions for the last two games, the Aztecs hosted the Mustangs from Trabuco Hills, a top ranked team in Orange County. The entire 1st period was evenly matched with both teams moving the ball well into their offensive side and taking shots. The Aztecs came close with a near score when Scott Davidson headed the ball from a corner kick. Eric Pellegrini also took a hard shot from just outside the box which the goalkeeper was able to handle. The Mustangs displayed a very tactical game plan with sharp ball movement and controlled passing; however, defensive standouts Eddie Nevin , Scott Davidson and Michael Rossi shut down any offensive drives near the goal. Martin Barrajas and Jared Martin were again the dominant force in middle of the field deflecting Mustang passes and passing the ball up field to the outside midfielders Alex Ashbaugh, Alex Hearne and Chris Duran. The 1st period ended 0-0.

The 2nd period was a display of will and determination with both teams battling their hearts out running the balls back and forth down the field trying to get any advantage possible. Robbie Shelansky showed the Mustangs that the Aztecs also had speedsters as he ran past Mustang defenders but fell short of any shot attempts. Early in the period Martin Barrajas received a pass just outside the box and took a rocket shot to the goal that just nearly missed. Twenty minutes into the period Troy Nikolic took a hard foul about 35 yards out. Eddie Nevin took the foul shot and drove it high in front of the net with Troy out-jumping everyone and heading it into the net for an Aztec score. The remainder of the game was intense as the Mustangs were determined to score. Aztec Andrew Gonzales received an outside pass and moved the ball up field and took a shot nearly missing a goal. The Aztec defenders Billy Petrossi and Eddie Nevin closed out the game by deflecting balls and sending passes up field. The game ended with Chris Duran receiving a pass near midfield and dribbling down field and around a Mustang defender to the right of the goal and taking a shot that almost resulted in another score. Jerrod Stith displayed his outstanding goalkeeping with a third shutout in a row. Another total team victory and effort by all Aztec players.

The Aztecs completed their first homestand with a shellacking of the Trabuco Hills Mustangs by a score of 6-0. The Aztecs improved to 3-0 as they jumped on the Mustangs early with a score when TJ Thelen made a pass to Luke Halopoff who put it in the back of the net to give the Aztecs the early lead. That goal was quickly followed up by a goal by Austin Lent as he attempted a shot that bounced off the goalie right back to Lent who deposited it in the goal.

The Aztecs continued to apply the pressure even as they received a red card to one of their defenders 12 minutes into the game. The result of the red card caused them to play the rest of the game with only 10 men. In spite of this, the Aztecs scored one more time in the first half on a beautiful shot by Eddie Arelleno on a pass from Brayden Hall.

The Aztecs kept up the assault in the second half with constant pressure on the Mustang defense. Forward Moises Alonado scored twice, once on a individual run down the middle and then on a nice cross from Ryan Born. The final goal was scored when a free kick from Jason Santos was crossed by Thelen that Damon Baker knocked into the net.

Once again the Aztec defense was stellar as goalies David Sullivan and Sergei Liano kept the Mustangs scoreless throughout the game. This was the second shutout in a row for the young Aztecs.

The Aztecs will try and continue their winning streak with their first game on the road against a tough Corona Del Mar team on Wednesday, December 5th.

After fighting the winds in Mondays match, the Aztecs hosted a very talented fast team from Valencia. Tonight's match was another test of endurance and determination as the Aztecs played on a wet slick turf on a cold evening with occasional light rainfall. From the sound of the whistle the Tigers from Valencia set a very fast tempo with early runs moving the ball to their offensive end of the field with precision passing and then taking hard shots that were all wide or high off the mark. The Aztecs counterattack matched the intensity with excellent control at the midfield from Martin Barrajas and balanced passing from Jared Martin, Jaimeson Hearne and Alex Ashbaugh. Within the 1st 15 minutes of the match, Aztecs had momentum and kept the ball in their end of the field with a couple shot attempts and corner kicks falling short. Around 16 minutes into the match Robbie Shelansky received the ball on the right side of the goal and directed the ball to a crowd in front of the net with everyone scrambling to get their foot on the ball Ashbaugh managed to send it into the net for the first score of the game. The remainder of the 1st period was intense with the Tigers moving the ball aggressively with the Aztec defenders Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson and Michael Rossi holding strong, deflecting passes and spoiling all Tiger offensive drives. The 1st period ended with the Aztecs up 1-0.

The 2nd half showed no let down from the Tigers as they continued to use their speed and passing; however, the Aztec desire would let up and the boys held strong which seemed to frustrate the Tigers. Within ten minutes, Robbie Shelansky received the ball and moved it up about 25 yards out with no defenders near he struck the ball hard into the net leaving the Tiger goalkeeper in shock. With desperation play, the Tigers couldn't seem to get their composure and made mental mistakes which the Aztecs took advantage of and thereafter played the rest of the match with confidence and determination to finish strong. At mid half, Justin Johnson brought energized play and seemed to be everywhere. Billy Petrossi added with defensive stops and Jesus Ramirez displayed his speed and efforts playing aggressive. With ten minutes remaining, the Tigers just didn't have an answer for the Aztec desire as the Aztecs continued with several offensive drives and ball control. After a deflection, Chris Duran outran a Tiger defender and got the ball out to the side of the goal and crossed it near the front of the net to Alex Hearne who then shot it in the goal. The Aztec defense held tough for the remainder of the game. The game ended with another victory shutout 3-0 and another superb display of goalkeeping from Jerrod Stith. This was another exciting game for Aztec fans as we all witnessed a total team effort and victory.

Varsity -
Esperanza - 1 Irvine - 0

The Esperanza Aztecs hosted the Vaqueros from Irvine in the 1st home match of the 2007-2008 season. Windy conditions persisted throughout the game which made it difficult to gain any type of offensive advantage for both teams. During the 1st period the Aztecs played against the winds with Eddie Nevin, Scott Davidson, and Jared Stith controlling the defensive end of the field along with Martin Barajas and Jared Martin stopping the midfield and working the balls up to forwards Robbie Shelansky and Troy Nikolic. The Aztecs seemed to have some momentum near the end of the half with corner kicks , however they came up empty handed. Justin Johnson displayed his speed and ball control moving the ball down the side lines but the Aztecs couldn’t capitalize and the Vaqueros shut down most of the Aztec shot attempts near the box. The 1st period ended with the match even with no scoring.

With the wind to their backs the 2nd period showed more aggressive play from the offensive end with the Aztecs pushing the ball up the field with excellent passing and teamwork. The Aztecs came up short on numerous occasions with excellent corner kicks and throw-in’s in front of the net. With nearly five minutes left in the match a throw-in near the box was deflected back near the top of the box when Eric Pellegrini shot it back into the net for a score. The remaining minutes of the match was physical with the Vaqueros desperately trying to work the ball up the field . With under two minutes remaining Justin Johnson received a pass and dribbled aggressively to the goal and took a shot in front of the net but the goalkeeper was able to knock it down. The game ended with Aztec victory 1-0. The Aztec fans enjoyed an exciting hard fought match that ended in dramatic style . Also victorious today were the Frosh-Soph and JV teams.

Frosh/Soph -
Esperanza - 3 Irvine - 2

The Esperanza Aztec Frosh/Soph team began their season on November 27th with an exciting come from behind win against the Irvine Vaqueros, 3-2. The Aztecs got down 2-0 in blustery Santa Ana wind conditions before Drew Hontz put them on the board just before halftime. Down 2-1 in the second half, the Aztecs with the wind at their backs began peppering the Irvine goal while dominating the second half. The offense had numerous opportunities to tie and/or take the lead with shots coming from Chris Berkley, Austin Lent, and Ryan Born, but nice saves from the Irvine goalie kept the Vaqueros in the lead. Finally, 10 minutes into the 2nd half, Hontz scored his 2nd goal of the game. The momentum continued in the Aztecs’ favor as, with 8 minutes left, Jordan Bartholme took a free kick from his own 18 yard line that was headed into the net by Nick Duran to put the Aztecs ahead. The rest was left up to the defense, led by Bartholme, Jason Santos, and goalie David Sullivan, who shut down the Vaqueros the rest of the way. The Aztecs are 1-0 and face Valencia in their next non-league game on Friday, November 30th.