Goals by Peter Ruiz and Alvaro Lopez covered up a costly defensive mistake for Santa Barbara High on Saturday, keeping the Dons in front of crosstown rival San Marcos in a 2-1 decision at Peabody Stadium.
Ruiz gave the Dons a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. It became 2-0 in the 49th minute when Tanner Mees was pulled down at the edge of the penalty box to earn a penalty shot. Alvaro Lopez converted.
“I think we were getting numbers in the box and I think Tanner did a really good job of earning that,” said Dons head coach Todd Heil. “It’s one of those things that we tell the kids to get into the box and let things happen, and something happened. Whether it’s a shot, whether it’s a deflection, whether it’s a PK.”
Andy Mandrell cut the lead in half in the 64th minute by taking a misplayed ball and quickly finding an opening past Santa Barbara keeper Angel Cervantes.
“I just stopped the ball, looked at the corner of the goal and just put it away,” Mandrell said. It brought our momentum back up and we actually thought we had a chance.”
San Marcos’ Jake Castanha makes it tough on Santa Barbara’s Peter Ruiz to field a throw-in.
The Royals pressed for the rest of the game but couldn’t muster another shot on goal.
“From that point it was a matter of putting on the pressure and trying to get the equalizer,” said Royals head coach Rob Lauderdale. “Credit to Todd (Heil) and Santa Barbara, they know how to win games.”
“It got a little spicy,” said Dons captain Brandon Sanchez, who was credited with an assist on Ruiz’s goal.
Sanchez took a shot from the left side of the goal but it ricocheted off a San Marcos defender to the other side of the goal. Ruiz was there wide open and quickly one-touched a low shot back across the goal and inside the far post.
The Dons, ranked No. 5 in CIF Division 1, improve to 12-3-4 and 3-1-0 in league. The Dons beat Ventura and San Marcos this week after losing to Dos Pueblos at home the previous week.
“I think tonight we played a lot better than we did against Ventura,” Heil said. “I think we connected a lot, we combined a lot, and I think we possessed a lot more than SM did. And that’s one thing I’ll take away positive is how well we controlled the tempo and the ball especially.”
Both teams play next on Tuesday. The Dons travel to Buena and the Royals will face Ventura.
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