After an uneventful, scoreless first half, Jesse Gonzalez got a hand in both of Santa Barbara High’s second-half goals Wednesday as the Dons advanced to the CIF Division II boys soccer quarterfinals with a 2-0 win at Brea Olinda.
Gonzalez assisted Tyler Schleich on a corner kick in the 59th minute, and scored four minutes later on another corner kick. This time, Gonzalez looped a beautiful shot that bounced off the back post and in.
The Dons were knocked out unexpectedly in the second round last year, but coach Todd Heil said that this year’s second-round win didn’t necessarily exorcise any demons.
“I think every round is a huge hurdle and a huge step forward,” he said. “This year’s team is different because we weren’t really sure what we’d have early in the season with so many new players. But this team has a lot of pride.”
The Dons (21-2-3) will host Friday’s quarterfinals.
