Mission Bay's boys soccer team took home the CIF division title. They were crowned Section IV champions with a resounding 5-1 victory over Mater Dei on Thursday, February 22nd at Madison High School.
The win marked the end of a historic year for the Bucks, who finished undefeated (19-0-1) and sought their first title since the 1998-1999 season.
Mission Bay was led by Dane Peaslee, with a hat trick, a goal from Gavin Marzion and a goal from Chase Enyart to seal the game in the first 45 minutes, leading 4-0 into halftime. Both teams added another goal in the second half, with Mater Dei scoring the only goal of the game in the final 10 minutes.
“This CIF championship and undefeated record could not have happened with a better group of players,” head coach Joe Panian said.
The Bucs went 16-0-1 in the regular season, defeating Otay Ranch and Gompers Preparatory Academy on their way to the championship game. The team scored 76 goals in the regular season and postseason combined, but conceded just 14, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of goaltender Nick Hirschman.
“The final was emblematic of the entire season with the effort and energy the players brought,” Panian added. “It was, and always has been, a total team effort.”
Among the standouts were Spencer Morton and Carter Chung, who anchored Mater Dei's midfield. We were explosive offensively, creating scoring opportunities for Peaslee, Marzion, and Enyardt.
“It was a historic night for Mission Bay High School soccer as we continued our undefeated season all season and were able to raise the CIF flag anew,” Panian said. “I'm so proud of them.”
Photo by Steve Sidell
