Brigade lays claim to top spot

In a showdown for first-place on the final day of first round of

league play, unbeaten Brigade, a boys Under-12 soccer team, took over the

top spot by outlasting the previously-unbeaten Irvine Strikers, 4-3, on

Saturday in a match played in 95-degree heat.

David Sias led Brigade with a three-point hat trick, which

included the game-winning goal.

Sias’ final score was set up when Adam Beavor’s corner kick

floated into the penalty box, which Sias put into the net. Sias’ first

goal put Brigade into a 1-1 halftime tie, and Jarrid Johnston broke the

tie early in the second half when he scored on a header off another

Beavor corner kick.

Irvine, however, battled back to knot the score at 2-2 before Sias

dribbled down the middle of the Striker defense to drive home his second

goal for a 3-2 Brigade advantage.

The defensive play of Johnston, Brad Smith, Steven Kalogeropoulos,

Bryce McKendry, and Bryan Osuna turned away several Irvine scoring

threats, and Brigade goalkeeper Brendon Welch stopped several shots on

goal by the Strikers.

On Sunday, Brigade used second-half goals by both Sias and Kareem

Khalil and another strong performance by Welch in goal to score a 3-1

triumph over the fourth-place Cerritos Spark.

Brandon Plummer’s first half volley just inside the 18-yard line

gave Brigade its first goal and a 1-1 tie at the break.

The two victories put Brigade at 5-0 in league play. Three of

those victories have been by shutout, and Brigade has outscored those

five opponents, 21-3.