Santa Barbara’s boys soccer team failed to win for the first time this season on Tuesday, settling for a 0-0 draw at Dos Pueblos.
The Dons made sure it didn’t happen again, reviving their winning ways on Thursday in a 2-0 shutout of Ventura at Peadbody Stadium.
Santa Barbara, still unbeaten on the season, improves its overall record to an incredible 19-0-1. Ventura, last year’s Channel League champion, falls to 3-3-6.
Jesse Gonzalez leads the Dons with 14 goals and 10 assists on the season after scoring a goal and recording an assist on Thursday.
The Dons, who were held scoreless for the first time on Tuesday, scored three times against Ventura but Sanford Spivey’s quick goal in the second minute was waved off by a penalty.
“I don’t know what the foul was. We’re still trying to figure that one out,” said Dons head coach Todd Heil, off to his best start in 11 years as Santa Barbara’s head coach.
The false alarm didn’t mean the Cougars were in the clear, however, as Alfredo Ibarra broke through for the Dons moments before halftime.
Jesse Gonzalez curled a corner kick from the right side to the front of the goal where it connected with Ibarra’s head for a 1-0 lead.
“We’ve been dangerous all year long and I think it’s because we have guys that can, A, serve the ball, and, B, we have guys that can get on the other end of it,” explained Heil.
Gonzalez and Ibarra proved their first goal was no fluke by combining on another score in the second half, each finishing the match with a goal and an assist.
With his 14th goal of the season, Gonzalez matches Christian Pardo for the team lead. His ten assists also leads the Dons.
CHANNEL LEAGUE SOCCER STANDINGS
“You can’t make any mistakes because they’ll take advantage of it,” said Cougars head coach Todd Tacket, whose team beat out the Dons for the league crown last season but graduated a handful of key players.
Tacket was quick to point out that either the Dons or the Cougars have been ranked No. 1 in CIF for every game the two schools have played against each other over the past four years, making for a quality rivalry.
“It’s been a little while since we’ve beaten (Ventura). We almost have too many rivals in Channel League now,” Heil joked.
Unlike last year, when the No. 2 Cougars defeated No. 1 Santa Barbara 1-0 towards the end of the regular season, the Dons defended their current No. 1 ranking.
“They’re a dominant team. I still cannot believe that they came out with a tie against DP,” added Tacket.
Heil conceded that the tie at Dos Pueblos gave the Dons extra motivation.
“I think we felt like we left something out there on the field that we shouldn’t have left,” Heil said, adding that Thursday was different.
“They were fired up for the game. They got into the locker room early and were pumping the music,” Heil continued. “Today was like our old self. It was nice, we were pumped up from the get-go.”
Keeper Justo Alvarado and Santa Barbara’s defense, led by Tony Alfaro and Marcos Lopez, recorded its 14th shutout in 20 games.
The Dons take a week off before hosting Buena next Thursday.
