Santa Barbara’s boys soccer team put an undefeated regular season in the books on Tuesday, downing Buena 5-2 in the Dons’ final regular season game.
Santa Barbara, which was named the No. 1 in the country on Tuesday by the NCSAA, finishes with a 24-0-1 overall record.
It’s the first undefeated regular season for Dons head coach Todd Heil, who won his eighth Channel League title in 11 years as coach.
“Why not make the target bigger,” Heil said, knowing that each playoff opponent will put forth its best effort in an attempt to be the first to bring down Santa Barbara.
Playoff pairings are released on Monday at noon for boys soccer.
The Dons built a 4-0 lead on Buena before the Bulldogs found the scoreboard.
Marcos Lopez scored first in the 29th minute, giving Santa Barbara a 1-0 advantage that would survive to halftime.
Alfredo Ibarra recorded a pair of goals in the second half to bookend scores from Christian Pardo and Tony Alfaro. Alex Santana collected two assists.
“The thing about this team is that they have so much passion, so much drive, they haven’t let themselves get in a postion to lose a game,” explained Heil.
