The Chula Vista and Hilltop high school boys soccer teams entered Thursday’s key Metro-Pacific League match at CVHS tied for first place in the league standings with a win each to their credit. The teams departed the field still in a first-place deadlock after battling to a scoreless draw.
“We definitely had the better play but couldn’t put anything away,” Chula Vista head coach Ruben Oliveira lamented after the match. “We had more scoring chances.”
Hilltop coach John Salts doesn’t dispute that.
“They had more opportunities but we had the better ones,” he said. “It was a very intense match, much like the final match of last season that ended in a scoreless tie.”
Chula Vista won last year’s inaugural league championship with a record of two wins and four ties. The Spartans and Lancers are knotted up with identical 1-0-1 league records two games into this year’s league schedule.
Chula Vista hosts Castle Park on Tuesday while Hilltop hosts Sweetwater.
Castle Park has a chance to make some inroads in the league standings after defeating Sweetwater, 3-1, on Thursday to improve to 1-1 in league play, 11-5-2 overall. Sweetwater dropped to 0-2 in league play, 1-12-2 overall.
David Loya received credit for the shutout against Hilltop while Abner Alatorre received credit for the shutout against Chula Vista.
“Abner has had an amazing season — he’s kept us in so many games,” Salts noted.
Chula Vista, which entered the game ranked second among San Diego Section teams, extended its unbeaten streak to 17 games (13-0-4) while improving to 13-2-4 overall.
Hilltop extended its more modest record to 6-7-6. The Lancers are 2-1-1 in their last four games after winning just twice in 15 matches.
“We started off the season by winning the Coronado tournament, then things promptly fell apart,” Salts explained matter-of-factly. “This is one of the most talented teams I’ve coached. Hopefully, we’re putting things together at the right time of the season. We’re getting stronger.”
Both teams were missing key players on Thursday. Oliveira believes his team will also experience renewed fortunes once several players return from injury, including the team’s leading scorer.
For the present, call it a stalemate in the battle for supremacy in the Metro-Pacific standings.
Cornerkicks
Defending Southern California regional champion Southwest remained undefeated in Metro-South Bay League play after recording a 6-0 win over Mar Vista on Thursday. The Raiders (11-5-2 overall) received goals from six players in the win while Sergio Martinez was credited with the shutout.
Eastlake continued its amazing run through the Metro-Mesa League standings after shading Bonita Vista, 2-1, on Thursday to improve to 5-0 in league play, 9-4-2 overall. Isaak Ortega and Dante Covarrubias each scored goals for the Titans while Ronnie Beeson scored the lone goal for Bonita Vista, which dropped to 0-3-2 in league play, 9-6-5 overall.
Otay Ranch played to a 1-1 draw against Mater Dei Catholic. Otay Ranch is 2-1-1 in Metro-Mesa League play, 7-4-4 overall; Mater Dei Catholic is 2-2 in Metro-Mesa League play, 6-5-3 overall.
Girls soccer
Eastlake defeated Bonita Vista, 1-0, on Thursday to draw closer to the Barons in the Metro-Mesa League standings, though Bonita Vista remains in first place in the standings.
Bonita Vista dropped to 4-1-0 in league play and is 10-5-2 overall. Eastlake is 3-1-1 in league play, 13-2-1 overall, while Olympian is 1-2-1 in league play, 14-3-3 overall. Otay Ranch is 0-1-3 in league play, 11-3-4 overall, while Mater Dei Catholic is 0-3-1 in league play, 8-6-3 overall.
Hilltop improved to 2-0 in Metro-Pacific League play after defeating visiting Chula Vista, 1-0, on Thursday. The Lancers, who previously defeated Castle Park, 3-0, on Feb. 3, improved to 9-6-3 on the season.
Chula Vista (9-8-1 overall) and Castle Park (8-8-2 overall) are both 1-1 in league play while Sweetwater (2-9-2 overall) is 0-2 in league play.
