ANAHEIM — Junior forward Michael Cherico scored two first-half goals, both on headers, and the Mater Dei boys soccer team defeated Servite 4-2 on Wednesday in a key Trinity League contest at Servite High School.
With the victory, the Monarchs (9-2-4 overall, 4-0-1 league) are in first place in the league standings and the lone undefeated team in the league after the first round of league games.
Mater Dei’s Eli Garza (34) celebrates scoring a goal as Servite’s Joe Moyer (7) reacts during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Eli Garza (34) uses his body to get the ball in past Servite’s Donovan Sandoval (3) and in to the goal during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Eli Garza (34) taunts Servite fans after scoring a goal during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Nolan Ruiz (18) and Dylan Graham (12) race to the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Dylan Graham (12) heads the ball against Mater Dei during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Kevin Santiago (7) looks at Servite’s Jordan Rodriguez as he grimace in pain during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Dylan Graham (12) heads the ball against Servite during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Elgin Nualart (6) controls the ball agains Mater Dei’s Christian Sotomayor (25) during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Jake Barak (29) is sandwiched between Servite’s Kelan Sumala (52) and Rocky Mendoza (25) during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Felix Ramirez (4) celebrates near the end of their victory over Servite during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Diego Chavarria (22) heads the ball against Servite during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite goalie David Lim (0) manages to keep the ball away from Jake Barak (29) during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Elgin Nualart (6) and Mater Dei’s Eli Garza (34) battle for the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Christian Sotomayor (25) and Kevin Abarca (16) try to keep Servite’s Rylan Firouzman (11) away from the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Michael Cherico (23) keeps Servite’s Elgin Nualart (6) away from the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Nolan Ruiz (18) and Servite’s Dylan Graham (12) battle for the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Michael Cherico (23) heads the ball in to the goal past Servite’s Dylan Graham (12) and Elgin Nualart (6) during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Felix Ramirez (4) and Servite’s Freddy Mora Jr. (9) battle for the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Felix Ramirez (4) celebrates near the end of their victory over Servite during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Felix Ramirez (4) and Servite’s Freddy Mora Jr. (9) battle for the ball during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mater Dei’s Kevin Santiago (7) goes after the ball against Servite’s Jordan Rodriguez (19) during their Trinity League game at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Mater Dei defeated Servite, 4 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“For our guys, this is a big confidence boost,” Mater Dei coach Sean Ganey said. “Coming in here to a hostile environment, it’s a great environment for soccer. I think our boys were ready for it.”
The Friars (11-2-3, 3-2), who are the defending CIF Southern Section Division 1 champions, have lost two league games in a row. They lost to JSerra 4-0 last week.
Cherico took a pass on a corner kick from Kevin Santiago and headed the ball into the goal to give Mater Dei a 1-0 lead 19 minutes into the contest.
Minutes later, Cherico scored on again on a header, this time taking a cross-pass through traffic from Eli Garza.
“For two good balls to come into me and score two off a header, it’s just rewarding to see what we do in practice to come up on the field,” Cherico said.
Jahir Gonzalez-Sandoval scored to get the Friars on the board four minutes before halftime.
Then seconds before halftime, Garza knocked a ball into the right side of the goal between the right post and a Servite defender to put the Monarchs back up by two, 3-1, at halftime.
“The second goal gave us a lot of confidence that we could do it,” Ganey said. “So even when we gave up the goal, we weren’t like, ‘Oh no.’ It was like, we can get more. This is a game we can go win and take control of.”
Three minutes into the second half, Gonzalez-Sandoval made it a one-goal game again, scoring on a free kick that went directly into the goal from 40 yards away.
Servite came close multiple times after that but failed to score the tying goal.
Instead, Ayden Romo scored for Mater Dei in the game’s final minute to give the Monarchs the two-goal victory.
Mater Dei opens the second round of league play Friday at home against JSerra (3-1-1 league), which tied Orange Lutheran 1-1 on Wednesday.
On Jan 4, the Monarchs started league play with a 1-0 win over JSerra.
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JSerra this week is No. 1 in the CIF-SS Division 1/2 rankings, while Servite is No. 3 and Mater Dei is No. 12.
“Everybody has bought in,” Ganey said. “They are such a great group of kids. You see us celebrate. You see us do all these things together and that is just our culture. For me, it’s everybody playing a role.”
Key matchups in the second round of league play include JSerra at Mater Dei on Friday, JSerra at Servite on Jan. 30 and Servite at Mater Dei on Feb. 1.
