The long awaited boys soccer games against Torrey Pines took place yesterday on the stadium field.

The varsity game began with the ball flying everywhere across both sides of the field. SDA took an early lead in the 12th minute, with a goal by senior Ethan Boutelle. The pace of the game quickly increased, with Torrey Pines looking for a goal to tie the game. Torrey Pines hit the ball into the net in the 14th minute, but the referee declared a foul.

In the 28th minute, senior Brandon Adams scored a second goal for SDA, bringing the score up 2-0. No more goals were scored for the remainder of the first half.

The second half was a lot more eventful than the first. The score remained 2-0 for the first 25 minutes of the first half, until Torrey Pines scored a goal in the 26th minutes.

Shortly after, a long shot was made from a Torrey Pines player while the SDA goalie, junior David Schlesinger, was out of the box. Schlesinger was sprinting back towards the ball which was headed towards goal, racing against another Torrey Pines player. Both of them reached the ball when it was nearly in the goal, and Schlesinger dove for it. Both players hit the ball at approximately the same time, and they both went down. It was a goal nonetheless, although the referee made a very controversial decision and gave Schlesinger a red card, sending him off the field. The crowd then got very hectic, throwing insults at the referees.

The game became very tense because suddenly because both teams were tied. In the third to last minute of the game, to the crowd’s dismay, Torrey Pines scored another goal, putting them at a lead.

SDA students and parents were worked up, but defeated because in the last 15 minutes of the game, Torrey Pines managed to score three goals. SDA started the next play very quickly, and turned into a game of offense for SDA and defence for Torrey Pines.

The referees handed out multiple yellow cards in the last few minutes for small fouls, which the crowd angrily opposed.

In the final minutes, SDA senior Jonathon Sabouri made a breakaway and scored a goal for SDA. Cheers surrounded the field, until the referee deemed the goal offsides. The game then ended, with a victory for Torrey Pines after their amazing comeback.

SDA boys varsity soccer has their next game this Thursday, Jan. 19 against Sage Creek at the SDA stadium field.

JVB’s game began right as school ended. “I thought it was going to be a tough match,” said freshman Miles LaVake. They tied 2-2, with LaVake scoring off of a penalty kick in the first half, and sophomore Niklas van der Wagt hooking one into the goal in the second half.Niklas van der Wagt hooked one in in the second half.

LaVake said, “we could have won, but that’s not what happened. We were close though.”

JV had a more challenging time against Torrey Pines, ending the first half down 0-2. Torrey Pines scored three more goals in the second half, making the final score 0-5.