LOS ALAMITOS >> Marissa Salazar’s goal in the first half and Esperanza Logan’s key goal late in the second half gave Los Alamitos a 2-0 victory over Huntington Beach in a Surf League game Thursday at Los Alamitos High.

The victory kept the Griffins (10-3-5, 2-0) in first place in the league standings and left them 4-0 in the Sunset Conference, which combines the Wave and Surf leagues.

Cross-conference victories are important in terms of CIF-SS Division 1 rankings, Los Alamitos coach Pat Rossi said.

“We have an overall (conference) champion so the losses go against us for CIF,” said Rossi, whose team is ranked No. 8 in CIF-SS Division 1.

The Oilers (10-4-4, 1-1) are tied for second place with Edison (11-6-1, 1-1), which defeated Corona del Mar, 2-1, on Thursday.

Salazar scored from inside the 6-yard box in the 36th minute on a ball which the Oilers were unable to clear.

Marissa Salazar scored a goal for Los Alamitos in a 2-0 victory over Surf League rival Huntington Beach on Thursday, Jan. 13. (Photo by Lou Ponsi, Contributor)

The score stayed 1-0 until late in the game, mainly because of Oilers goalkeeper Riley Urquiza, who kept her team in the game by making excellent saves in the second half.

Urquiza dove to her right to stop high-speed shot from close range and leaped high to bat away a ball also coming at a high speed less than two minutes later.

“Balls that would have gone in on most keepers,” Rossi said. “It keeps them in the game. It keeps their energy high.”

The Griffins finally got an insurance goal in the 74th minute on a header from Logan, who knocked the ball into the goal off a bounce on Salazar’s free kick.

Esperanza Logan, left, scored a goal for Los Alamitos in a 2-0 victory over Surf League rival Huntington Beach on Thursday, Jan. 13. (Photo by Lou Ponsi, Contributor)

“I was just super happy that I got the goal,” Logan said. “I’m surprised it went in, too.”

Urquiza made one more exceptional save, this one coming in the final minutes on a breakaway, which the senior stopped by running forward to cut off the angle on the shot.

Huntington Beach had several second-half scoring opportunities, including three corner kicks which either couldn’t be controlled or went behind the net.

The Oilers and Griffins both have four league games remaining.