San Marcos High senior forward Peter Aldapa didn’t want his prep soccer career to come to an end on Saturday.
So he took things into his own hands.
Aldapa collected a loose ball 35 yards from goal, sprinted between two defenders, and whistled a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that hit the back of the net, giving the Royals a 3-2 overtime at Laguna Hills in a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 second-round playoff match.
In a match that was described as very physical, San Marcos overcame many shots of adversity to improve to 15-5-6, and advance to the Division 2 quarterfinals on Wednesday against Arlington of Riverside.
The Royals got on the scoreboard in the 10th minute when the Vom Steeg twins, Caden and Jared, combined to make it 1-0.
On an indirect free kick from the edge of the Laguna Hills penalty area, Caden Vom Steeg touched the ball to his brother, Jared, who fired a shot past the Hawks goalkeeper. It remained 1-0 until the 21st minute, when the referee called San Marcos for a foul in the 18, resulting in the first of two successful penalty kicks in the match by Laguna Hills.
The Royals, however, regained the lead in the 25th, when junior forward Richard Jauregui hit a perfectly placed shot from the top of the 18 inside the right post for a 2-1 advantage.
“It was a very hard, tough, and physical game. Getting a win like that is great for the team going into the deeper stages of CIF,” San Marcos coach Paul McLean said.
“Peter Aldapa was our man of the match. After going through a little scoring drought he was able to ultimately get a goal and get us to the next round.”
San Marcos was hit with another dose of adversity in the final minutes of the first half, when the referee disallowed a Royals’ goal on a controversial call.
Junior defender Connor Hess delivered a throw-in from the right touchline in the final third.
The ball reportedly bounced into the 18, where Aldapa got it on his right foot and scored what appeared to be a goal to make it 3-1.
But the referee called offside on Aldapa, which is almost unheard of on a throw-in, keeping the score 2-1 Royals at halftime.
San Marcos was called for its second foul in the 18-yard box in the 58th minute, resulting in another successful PK by the Hawks to level the score, 2-2. It remained that way until the first overtime period, when Aldapa ended it with a golden goal.
San Marcos will play at home on Wednesday when the host Arlington in the quarterfinals at Warkentin Stadium.
Division 7Bishop Diego 10, Pacifica Christian 2
Talk about heating up at the right time, as the Cardinals rode a trio of Luckhursts to a CIF-SS Division 7 third-round route at Pacifica High School Saturday afternoon.
The trio of Jack, Michael and Adam Luckhurst combined for 22 points in the Cardinals 10th-straight victory. A look at their impressive lines:
• Jack, senior: Five goals (28 on the season; most in single game)
• Michael, freshman: Three goals (second hat trick in four games), two assists
• Adam, junior: Four assists
Polishing off the impressive offensive outburst for Bishop Diego (13-3) was junior Michael Romero with two goals.
“Our whole bench played and contributed to this great victory. It was wonderful to see Sebastian DeJohn, Ethan Garcia, Stefan Romero, Cameron Medina and Oliver Fowler come into the game and provide key contributions,” Bishop Diego coach Mick Luckhurst said. “It was a tremendous team win”
After starting the season 3-3, the Cardinals have found a new gear, outscoring opponents 57-8 over the past 10 games.
Bishop Diego will host Vasquez in the semifinals on Wednesday.
