Loyola Powered by County Players

Loyola Marymount’s first victory in school history over the UCLA men’s soccer team, a 2-1 decision in an exhibition game Saturday, had a definite Orange County flavor.

Gonzalo Bonilla (El Toro High) and Eric Kim (Irvine High) scored second-half goals to bring the unranked Lions from behind.

Midfielder Andres Murriagui, a native of Ecuador who now lives in Laguna Hills, got things started on Kim’s goal when he sent a cross into the penalty box that Kim volleyed into the net.

UCLA is ranked No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. preseason poll.

AZTEC OPENER

Several former county high school players are expected to see action Thursday, when San Diego State opens its football season by hosting Arizona State.

Brian Berg, a 6-0, 240-pound senior from Santa Margarita, is expected to start at middle linebacker. Jared Ritter, a 6-4, 255-pound sophomore from Mission Viejo, is expected to start at defensive tackle. Shawn Dickie, a 6-5, 300-pound redshirt freshman from Irvine, is a backup guard.

But Zach Lamonda, a 6-1, 300-pound junior from Servite who was expected to start at center, has been lost for the season after surgery to correct a sprained arch. Brendan Rosen, a 6-3, 280-pound redshirt freshman from Huntington Beach, had back surgery last season and has quit the team.

Former Los Alamitos defensive tackle Sagan Atuatasi joined the Aztecs Aug. 18. Atuatasi, who attended Cypress College part-time last year after failing to qualify academically at USC, may redshirt, a team spokesman said.

VOLLEYBALL

Three former county players expect to see action when the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team opens the season Friday, hosting St. Mary’s at 7:30 p.m.

Redshirts Mariah Marquis (Golden West College) and Lindsay Phillips, a Pepperdine transfer from Marina High, join returning starter Tayyeba Haneef (Laguna Hills High). Long Beach is ranked No. 4 in the nation by the American Volleyball Assn. and No. 2 by Volleyball Magazine.

Kristen Gallup, formerly of Capistrano Valley High, had a good spring season and is expected to compete for a starting role as an outside hitter on the Loyola Marymount women’s volleyball team, which opens Friday at a tournament hosted by Arizona State.

Loyola Coach Steve Stratos, formerly of Woodbridge High, enters his 11th season with a career record of 212-92, best among active coaches in the West Coast Conference.

UC Irvine opens its volleyball season Tuesday by hosting Northwestern, which features freshman Lindsay Pavlik, a former basketball/volleyball standout at Mater Dei, and former all-county player Sarah Ballog, a sophomore from Santa Margarita High.

FAMILIAR DEBUT

Martin Gonzalez, a distance runner who graduated from Magnolia High in 1988, makes his debut as Concordia’s cross-country coach at Saturday’s Vigil Invitational in Alamosa, Colo. The meet is hosted by Adams State, where Gonzalez was an assistant distance coach for six years.

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