Honorable Mention Story - Men's soccer team makes playoff run

Honorable Mention Story - Men's soccer team makes playoff run

In leading up to the official start of the 2019-20 athletics campaign at Irvine Valley, which starts on Aug. 27 with the IVC men's soccer team hosting Rio Hondo and the Laser women's soccer team playing at San Diego Mesa, the Irvine Valley athletic department will count down the top 10 sports stories from the 2018-19 school year. 

Honorable mention on the list is the playoff run turned in by the Irvine Valley men's soccer team last fall. Irvine Valley made a late push in its 2018 fall season, winning four straight matches to get into the postseason. Irvine Valley played its best down the stretch and ended the year with a record of 8-10-3 overall.

Irvine Valley's men's soccer team found the right time to get hot. And it meant the Lasers were a part of the California Community College Athletic Association South Region playoffs.

Irvine Valley earned the No. 14 seed in the playoffs and battled No. 3 and Orange Empire Conference rival Fullerton before losing late, 1-0, in the opening round.

Irvine Valley finished the regular season strong, winning four straight matches to push its way into the playoffs.

The Lasers finished tied for fifth in the Orange Empire Conference standings, but leapfrogged several teams to earn the playoff berth based on its season-long strength of schedule, eight wins and three ties and final power point ranking.

Irvine Valley ended the regular season with a record of 8-9-3 overall and was 5-6-3 in conference.

In the last four matches, Irvine Valley out-scored opponents, 20-5, including beating Santiago Canyon, 3-2. Sophomores Mahyar Shabani and Julian Anaya and freshman Gibae Kim each scored goals for IVC against Santiago Canyon.

And four members of the squad were named to the all-Orange Empire Conference squads for the 2018 season.

Sophomore forward Grant Joyce and Kim were each selected to the first team and sophomore defender Alexis Campos and sophomore forward and midfielder Daniel Segal were picked to the second team.

The four players helped IVC reach the CCCAA South Regional Playoffs and end the season with a record of 8-10-3 overall.

Joyce had a standout season, leading the Lasers in goals, assists and points. He finished with 10 goals and nine assists for 29 points.

He ended up fourth in the conference in goals, second in assists and second in points.

Joyce had a three-goal and one-assist match in a 7-0 Irvine Valley win at Cypress on Sept. 25.

He also recorded two goals and two assists in Irvine Valley's 8-1 victory over Cypress at home on Oct. 26. And Joyce also notched a goal and an assist in Irvine Valley contests against Norco and Pasadena City.

Kim was fourth on the team in points with 14 from his central midfield position. He played and started in all 21 games for the Lasers and ended up with six goals and two assists. Kim closed out the year strong with six goals in the team's final seven contests. He had two goals in a 8-1 win against Cypress on Oct. 26 and followed that up with two goals in Irvine Valley's 5-0 victory over Pasadena City on Oct. 31.

Campos was an anchor in the defensive end for IVC. He also played an started in all 21 matches and contributed two goals and two assists for six points. He had one goal and one assist in Irvine Valley's 8-1 win over Cypress and then had one goal and one assist as the Lasers defeated Norco, 4-2, on Nov. 2.

Segal ranked second on the team in goals, tied for second in assists and second in points. He ended with eight goals, six assists and 22 points. He had one goal and one assist as Irvine Valley beat El Camino, 4-0, on Sept. 4 and had two big goals and an assist as IVC defeated Norco, 4-2, on Nov. 2.