Lakewood Athletics coverage from The562. JP Crawford, Class of 2013.
This has been a historic season for Lakewood boys soccer, which will end today in the CIF Southern California Regional Division IV Finals in Oceanside.Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Within the last month, the Lancers (17-4-6) won a CIF Southern Section playoff game for the first time since 2016, advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1985, and qualified for the CIF State Tournament for the first time in program history. Obtained.
“It feels great to be able to make history,” Lakewood senior defender Angelo Funes said. “We care so much. The whole team and everyone keeps talking about it. We even have teachers at school tell us about it. It's so cool that people care. Yo.”
Funes and the rest of Lakewood's defense have been great this postseason, allowing just one goal in the past five games.
Read more about how Funes seized opportunities in his soccer career.
This final will be a battle of solid defense. Oceanside (18-1-4) is the CIF San Diego Section Division II champion and has not conceded a goal since January, when the league was tied. The Pirates have outscored their opponents 52-10 this season, relying on counter-attacks.
Lakewood and its dynamic duo of Michael Gutierrez and Jonathan Romero at the top will need to find routes to attack Oceanside's defense to make their patented rucker press worth the effort. be.
Romero scored the golden goal in the CIF Southern California regional semifinals, and Gutierrez had six goals in seven postseason games.
Read more about how Gutierrez learned how to become an attacking striker.
If Lakewood wins, it will be the school's first CIF state title since girls volleyball in 2007.
For more Lakewood soccer coverage during the playoffs, click here.