Los Alamitos' Boys Win, 1-0, to Ruin Edison's Perfect Season on the Pitch

Edison High’s boys soccer team won the Sunset League title. They will likely be the top-seeded team in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs when they are released on Monday. But the Chargers suffered at least one blemish on their record when Los Alamitos handed them their only loss of the season, 1-0, in the Sunset League finale on Wednesday at Laurel School.

About midway through the second half, the Griffins had a free kick from near midfield. Salvador Alcazar sent the ball up towards the goal box ,where Tyler Bennett was able to go up and redirect it with a header past an Edison defender and towards the goal. Michael Reynoso ran at the ball, along with an Edison defender, as the goalkeeper charged out to meet it.

Reynoso was able to get a foot on the ball first and chipped it over both defenders and into the net to give the Griffins a 1-0 lead. Edison (22-1, 9-1) pressured the Griffins' defense on several occasions in the final 20 minutes but could not get the tying goal. It was the first time the Chargers have been shut out this season.

“We tried to compact the field and we tried to get numbers behind the ball,” Griffin coach Don Martinez said of his team’s defense.

In the first-round meeting between the teams, the match was close until the final 15 minutes, when Edison broke a scoreless tie. They then took advantage of a rattled Griffin squad to score two more goals within about 10 minutes. Martinez said his team came into this game motivated by that loss and the fact that the Chargers were such a solid team.

Edison had plenty of opportunities Wednesday, but key defensive plays and big saves by goalkeepers Daniel Boyer (first half) and Richard Burns (second half) helped keep the Chargers off the board. In the 75th minute, the Chargers had a header off a corner kick sail just over the goal. A few minutes later, another corner kick was batted out by Burns, while a minute later a crossing pass was headed out by Andrew Andersen.

And the Griffins found some counter-attacks but could not add an insurance goal. In the 73rd minute Charlie Atwood was able to get free with a loose ball outside the box, but his shot was stopped by the goalkeeper. Late in the first half, the Griffins had a couple of key chances as well, with a solid shot by Sam Rudich that was knocked down by the goalkeeper and secured on a rebound.

A few minutes before that, senior Tim Harty also had a shot from about 22 yards in front that hooked just wide left of the goal. The Griffins had second place in the Sunset League secured, but the victory moved them to 8-2 in league play and 15-4-4 overall. However, the emotional lift might prove to be the biggest payoff.

“This was great, it was about coming out and showing what we could do, just in time for CIF [playoffs]” senior Kyle Freeman said.