Soccer

GLENDALE - What could have very easily been labeled as a forgettable Friday was instead differently interpreted by Burroughs High first-year girls' soccer Coach Brady Riggs. His Indians struggled in both their matches of opening pool play action of the Los Tacos Holiday Festival Tournament at the Glendale Sports Complex, including dropping the afternoon contest, 5-0, versus Royal on a day in which the squad was outscored, 8-0. Yet, there wasn't much disappointment afterward, only some reflection.

Burroughs High girls' soccer Coach Eddie Garcia knows a little something about his team's first-round opponent in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. To be more specific, he coached a pair of players on the team that will be the Indians' first-round opponent. Burroughs will take on host Flintridge Prep at 5 p.m. Thursday in a playoff opener. “I coached two of the girls on that team,” said Garcia, who is also a club coach. “I also know that [Prep] is a very good program and they usually have their share of good players.

After a police investigation, a story about a man who molested a boy in a local park turned about to be untrue. The story gathered a life of its own after a 10-year-old boy told his father that a man asked for help in looking for his lost dog at Pacific Park, but the boy was trying to get out of waiting for his older brother's soccer practice, Police Sgt. Bill Taylor said. As the story circulated, it included the falsity that the boy was molested by the man. When the commissioner of the local AYSO soccer league found out about it, she repeated it in an e-mail sent to parents in the league.

PALMDALE - A gamut of emotions swarmed the members of the Burroughs High boys' soccer team Friday night. On the cusp of advancing to the semifinals, Burroughs seemed to have things under control. Then Palmdale's Oscar Torres spoiled Burroughs' playoff run. Torres scored four goals, including the winner on a penalty shot, to hand visiting Burroughs a 4-3 loss in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal match. Torres was tripped up inside the goal box, warranting the penalty kick.

BURBANK - The South Pasadena boys' soccer team was already fully entrenched in its season when it took on Burbank on Tuesday, having played two matches and posting two shutouts. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, came into the contest with no game experience. Burbank was scheduled to play Monrovia to open its campaign last week, but the match had to be postponed. Despite the lack of experience, the Bulldogs only trailed by one goal after the first half. However, defensive lapses proved to be Burbank's downfall in the second half, as the Tigers were able to capitalize on the mistakes and roll to a 6-0 nonleague victory at Burbank.

Nick Posthuma reminisced fondly about some of the highlights that ranged from initially becoming a full-time starter to winning a league championship to competing in postseason matches for the St. Francis High boys’ soccer team. At no time did Posthuma struggle to sum up what it meant playing for a program steeped in tradition. “It’s different with St. Francis soccer,” said Posthuma, who finished the season with a team-high 21 goals and eight assists for 50 points before being tabbed the All-Area Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year by the sportswriters and editors of the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun for the second consecutive year.

He's got a leg, and he knows how to use it. Opponents have learned that the hard way when left-footed Gary Au lets one loose from his midfield position. The Flintridge Prep boys' soccer player has frequently caught opposing goalkeepers by surprise after rocketing a ball past them from long distance. Such a strong foot ? one which can routinely kick a soccer ball three quarters of a football field ? has earned the 17-year-old plenty of impressive accolades during his four years as a Rebel.

A one-word response from their star player left the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer coaches reassured. With grand expectations already in place for another banner season, Flintridge Sacred Heart Co-coaches Frank Pace and Kathy Desmond huddled with Lauren Bustos to discuss her being prepared to start at different positions based on who the Tologs faced. It was Bustos' response that surprised Pace and Desmond, who have carefully nurtured the rising CIF Southern Section Division I program for the past eight seasons.

Kordo Doski knew full well what he was getting into when he took over the boys’ soccer program at Providence High. Competing in the relatively new CIF Southern Section sport of boys’ fall soccer, the coach inherited a squad that was in just its second season as an organization. He also realized that the Pioneers were coming off a season in which they went 3-11 and failed to make it to the playoffs. Needless to say, expectations for Providence to put together a successful season were pretty low. “When we suited up and we took the field for our first game, I had eight guys on my roster who had never played organized soccer before,” Doski said.

Jake Anderson, Soph., Midfielder, St. Francis Provided stellar play in the middle all season, finishing with six goals and eight assists. Earned spot on All-Mission League first-team. Michael Conrad, Senior, Defender, Burroughs Was the driving force on the Pacific League's No. 1 defensive unit that held league opponents to just 11 goals in 14 matches. Was an all-league first-team selection. Daniel Eng, Senior, Defender, Crescenta Valley The second-team All-Pacific League selection helped steady the Falcons defensive unit.

It was something that Brandon Gerlach had done hundreds, maybe even thousands of times since he took up soccer as a boy. In a nonleague match in December, the Burroughs High senior midfielder slid a few times on the artificial turf, opening a sizable wound on his thigh. “I was wearing my old sliders because I couldn't find my new ones and those ones had a hole in them,” Gerlach said. “I ended up sliding a couple of times and I opened up my leg pretty good. But I just thought 'OK, I'll just put some bandages over it and it should be fine.'” Patched up, Gerlach didn't miss his next start for the Indians.

The tradition continues. The machine that is the Burroughs High boys' soccer program continues to churn out All-CIF Southern Section players. This season, senior midfielder Brandon Gerlach is the latest Indians recipient, as he was named to the Division III first team when the first-team members from seven divisions were released by the Southern Section Office on Monday. "It is always nice to see players from our program recognized," Burroughs veteran Coach Mike Kodama said.

There was little debate about how much Clarissa Guerrero's presence on the soccer field benefited the Burbank High girls' team this past season. "Anyone who watched our team play could see how important a player Clarissa was for us," said Burbank Coach Eric Montoya about the senior forward. "Just the things she could do in the field were pretty amazing, and it was fun do watch her. I know we wouldn't have been as successful as we were without Clarissa. " In the roles of both goal-scorer and facilitator, Guerrero enjoyed a wealth of success during her senior campaign.

No matter where Clarissa Guerrero was positioned on the soccer field, she was determined to make the best of every situation. "I will play anywhere they need me on the field," said Guerrero, who just completed her senior season on the Burbank High girls' team. "If they needed me at forward I would play there or if them needed me on defense I would play there, too. I would even play goalie if they needed me there. " Primarily a forward, there were times this past season when Bulldogs Coach Eric Montoya used the four-year starter all over the field.

Since he was a sophomore playing on varsity two years ago, Burroughs High's Brandon Gerlach continued to grow as a player. "It has just been great to see Brandon progress like he has since he started to play for us as a sophomore," Burroughs Coach Mike Kodama said. "And he just continued to get better and his skills increased every year. " The culmination of those skills were displaced this past season for Gerlach, who was one of the Indians' captains. A force in the midfield, the senior orchestrated the team's offense and took charge when it came to running Burroughs' set pieces.

OAK PARK — Sometimes the other team is just better. That was the case as the Burroughs High girls' soccer team traveled to Oak Park to take on the undefeated Eagles on Friday in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. The Indians dropped the contest, 3-0, with two of Oak Park's goals coming on set pieces. Entering the opening playoff contest, the Eagles had scored 80 goals in 22 games, compared to just 36 in 21 games for Burroughs. In a game of lopsided possession, the result could have been much worse for the Indians (8-11-2)

BURBANK - A pair of early goals from first-round opponent Pacifica High proved to be insurmountable for the Burbank girls' soccer squad, which saw a five-match winning streak snapped in its season-ending defeat. Lackadaisical play shown by the Bulldogs in the early stages of the CIF Southern Section Division III contest with the Mariners proved to be a factor in the two goals scored in the first eight minutes of a 2-0 loss. The energy increased, but Burbank couldn't overcome an effective defensive game plan and was on the losing end of a physical and frustrating match at Burbank High on Friday afternoon.

BURBANK - Shortly after the final whistle was blown, the usually subdued Mike Kodama took out his frustrations on a water bottle on the sideline. PHOTOS: Burroughs vs. Katella CIF first round boys' soccer playoffs The veteran coach of the Burroughs High boys' soccer team was echoing the disappointment and frustration that his players experienced as they walked off the field Thursday. The coach had just witnessed an upset in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs, and it came at the expense of his Indians.