Boys' soccer undefeated in league

Danny KarelStaff WriterSamo boys' soccer team has now finished half of its season and has thus gone beyond expectation. They are currently in the middle of the highly competitive Ocean League tournament, sitting atop the bracket with a record of 3-0. Having already completed all of their other tournaments and preseason matches, the boys now have nothing to focus on except success in the Ocean League.“Our only goal now is finishing league,” senior Nick Herrera said. “We are taking this season one step at a time.”Paramount High — the defending state champions — sustained a disheartening 0-1 first round loss, handed to them by Samo earlier this month. Since this game, the boys have defeated each opponent by at least a two-point margin, until Jan. 19 when Samo just managed to squeeze out a victory over Beverly Hills. Going into the second half, the teams were tied at 1-1. 15 minutes later, Beverly scored another goal, putting them ahead 2-1 with 25 minutes left. Playing skillfully under pressure, Samo managed to stage a comeback: with 15 minutes remaining they scored the tying goal, and just a few minutes later senior Ian Spetner scored once again, securing a victory.“This win proved to us that we can play anybody,” Herrera said. “If we play our game right no team can hang with us.”The boys' plan is to continue building off this momentum as they go into the second half of the Ocean League tournament; their aim is to achieve a perfect league record, which seems plausible in light of their recent victories. They are to play seven more games, the first of which is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21 against Morningside, and their final against Hawthorne on Feb. 10. After Ocean League play, the team will begin to prepare for CIF, which many consider to be this year's primary target."We are expected to win Ocean League," Spetner said. "But our main goal is state champs, and Ocean League is just the first step."dkarel@thesamohi.com