Reseda Won’t Be Stopped Short

Holding an advantage not reflected in the final score, Reseda High rallied for a 2-1 victory over Glendale on Wednesday in the final of the Hart boys’ soccer tournament.

The Regents (11-3), who dominated the game and scored the winner with 12 minutes to play, claimed the title they were expected to win last season before a semifinal upset by Canyon ruined their run.

Reseda’s victory was accomplished without the services of Carlos Morales, Reseda’s All-American midfielder, and forward Oscar Sims. Morales hyperextended a knee in the semifinals Tuesday and Sims pulled a hamstring in the first five minutes Wednesday.

“The superstars weren’t there to take the first step and bring everyone with them,” said Julio Castillo, Reseda’s co-coach.

“Without them it took a true team effort.”

And what a team. There is little doubt the defending City Section champions have the most talent of any squad in the region. What troubles the Regents is consistency, but lately they’ve been on a roll.

“At the beginning of the season we were thinking we’d walk through teams,” Castillo said. “But then we lost three games [in two days] and it was a shock.

“The only way we can be contenders for the City title again is by working harder, like we did last year.”

Reseda’s effort kept Glendale (5-5-3) on the defensive for virtually the entire game. The Dynamiters broke out sporadically and took a 1-0 lead three minutes after halftime, but were outshot, 11-3.

Glendale’s Alberto Consejo, his back to the Reseda penalty area, kicked the ball over his head and into the box. Teammate Ripart Aghamalian headed in the pass from 10 yards.

Reseda tied the game 14 minutes later when sweeper Edwin Miranda moved forward and scored from 15 yards and a sharp angle after taking a pass from Evan Corey.

The Regents got the winner in the 68th minute. Corey’s corner kick was trapped and passed on by Rigoberto Cornejo to Jesse Servin, who scored from five yards, his fourth goal in three games.

Glendale played without Coach Loi Phan, who was red-carded Tuesday during his team’s shootout victory over Hart in the semifinals.

Phan protested and was ejected when the officials, after each team used 10 shooters, erroneously ruled the goalkeepers would shoot in the next round.

Wednesday, Phan could only watch from an adjoining field while forward Artour Mirzakhanian was ejected for dissent late in the game and with Glendale pressuring the Reseda goal.

Mirzakhanian’s frustration had grown as the Regents guarded him tightly and disrupted the Dynamiters’ passing game.

Morales designed the tight defense on Mirzakhanian after the Glendale forward had an impact in Reseda’s 2-0 defeat of Glendale earlier this month at the Burroughs tournament.

In pool play of the Buena tournament:

Buena 2, Hueneme 0--Chris Parkin scored in the first half, and Brad Workman scored in the second and the Bulldogs (10-2-1) advanced to face Narbonne today at 10:15 a.m. in the semifinals.

Notre Dame 5, St. Bonaventure 0--Blu Murray scored twice and the Knights (5-1) advanced to play Moorpark in the semifinals.