In leading up to the official start of the 2018-19 athletics campaign at Irvine Valley, which starts on Aug. 25 with the IVC men's soccer team at Yavapai in Arizona, the Laser athletic department is counting down the top 10 IVC sports stories from the 2017-18 school year.
The No. 8 story on the list was another stellar year by the Laser men's soccer team, which finished ranked No. 13 in the nation in the final United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division III poll. The Lasers ended with 12 wins, reached the second round of the playoffs and had several players earn all-Orange Empire Conference honors.
Irvine Valley's ended the 2017 fall campaign ranked No. 13 in the final United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division III Poll.
Irvine Valley, under the direction of head coach Martin McGrogan, finished the year with a record of 12-5-5 overall and was 9-2-3 in the Orange Empire Conference for second place.
IVC dropped a tough match in penalty kicks at Mt. SAC, 4-2, in the second round of the CCCAA Southern California Regionals.
The team had six players picked to all-Orange Empire Conference teams. Freshman forward Eder Olivas, sophomore forward Toby Waterman and freshman defender Juan Sebastian Oliveras were named to the first team and freshman midfielders Kristian Sabatino and Alexis Camps along with freshman defender Mathew Davis were selected to the second team. Davis is now playing at UC San Diego.
Olivas led the way for IVC on offense with 10 goals and eight assists for 28 points during the regular season. He was third in the conference in both goals and points. His eight assists were second in conference.
Olivas had two-game winning goals during the regular season and scored two goals in a 2-2 tie at Santa Ana on Sept. 26.
Waterman, who was named the OEC's most valuable player two seasons ago, scored seven goals and had five assists for 19 points during the regular season in 2017.
Waterman ranked tied for seventh in both goals and points.
Olivares tallied six goals during the regular season. He had two goals in a 2-2 tie with Orange Coast on Sept. 22 and had another two goals in IVC's 3-1 win over Fullerton on Oct. 20.
Sabatino and Campos were both steady players for the Lasers in the midfield throughout the regular season. Campos scored three goals with one assist.
And once a regular member of the starting lineup, Davis was one of the standout defenders for IVC. He helped the Lasers record four shutouts on the season and give up just a goal in a match eight other times.
The Lasers were ranked No. 13 in the state in the final regular season poll and were seeded No. 7 for the CCCAA South Regional Playoffs.