Back-to-back shutouts put CHS soccer to top of Trico

It was Stevenson’s first loss after posting Trico wins over Castle Rock and Seton.

Last Saturday, the Bruins faced a sterner test in Van-couver versus the Knights. In the final issue, Columbia notched a 2-0 shutout to make its overall record 4-0 (which includes a Trico forfeit from La Center on March 22).

Bruins Director Christo- pher Cramer said the Steven-son match “was a game we expected to win, based on results we’ve been seeing, but you just never know until you get there.”

Columbia’s focus for the match was to control the action and dictate the tempo. “Get the ball, keep the ball,” Cramer said.

CHS’s defenders, particularly Ulices Isordia and Chava Ramirez, did a good job of playing keep away on the back end. “They showed a lot patience, maturity, and leadership,” Cramer noted.

”Those guys are doing for the defense what Ivan and Yvan are doing for the offense,” Cramer said. “They are all playing at a really high level right now.”

Leo Guerrero got credit for the shutout, though he did not get a lot of pressure from the Bulldogs.

Guerrero also got the shutout at King’s Way, and made a critical save in the opening minutes of the first half that kept the score 0-0 between two teams playing at full strength for the first time this season.

CHS’s offense came about slowly on what Cramer called “one of those days where we hit every post and the crossbar on the goal but nothing would go in.”

That changed in the 10th minute when Escoto scored unassisted with a shot off a volley that “he hit with authority. He swung for the fence and hit a home run,” Cramer said. “If he doesn’t score there, we could have been in for a long day.”

Mario Gonzalez netted the second goal in the 35th minute; assist to Christian Martinez “because Christian kind of created the chaos in the box that resulted in a goal.”

Cramer added: “We played probably our best game of the season overall.”