Boys soccer defeats Loyola, 1-0

By Noki Lam 

Staff Writer 

Boys soccer won its match against Loyola High School, 1-0, on Monday. This marked the first time the two teams went head to head since the 2021 CIF Southern Section finals. 

Early in the first half, junior forward Jack Johnstone dribbled into the penalty box and finished a shot into the bottom left of the goal, scoring the only goal of the game. 

“An early goal against a strong team boosted our confidence, allowing us to control the rest of the game,” Johnstone said. 

Costa’s defense proved to be too difficult of a task for the Cubs, as Loyola was held scoreless for the rest of the match. The Mustangs prevented the Cubs from advancing the ball forward and kept the ball on Loyola’s side of the field, minimizing the Cubs’ opportunities to score. 

“We always try to stay active and communicate, which makes it easier to shut a team like Loyola down,” junior midfielder Owen Lagerway said. “Being aggressive and winning the first and second balls were huge to our success.” 

Senior goalkeeper Spencer Micali played his first home game of the season after missing the first three games due to restrictions from his club organization. He tallied five saves, including a diving stop on a shot aimed at the bottom left side of the goal. 

“The opportunity to play on a team with such dedicated players and coaches is not something that you find very often in high school soccer,” Micali said. 

The Mustangs may play the Cubs in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, where they hope to continue their winning streak against them. According to junior defender Sean Gauer, the team hopes to use its momentum from this match in its upcoming matches. 

“It’s always nice to beat your rival and show you are the better team,” Gauer said. “We are going to treat every match with the same winning mentality.” 

Boys soccer plays its next game against Junipero Serra High School on Friday at Junipero Sierra High School. The team looks to improve on its current 5-0 record on the path to the CIF State playoffs, according to Gauer. 

“We still have a lot to improve on,” junior center midfield Alex Ambite said. “Our next game against JSerra, who knocked us out of CIF last year, will be a real test for us.”