Men's soccer team scores early and earns 3-1 win over Mesa

Men's soccer team scores early and earns 3-1 win over Mesa

The Irvine Valley men's soccer team is finding its groove. 

The Lasers won their third match in a row and fourth in their last five contests with a 3-1 home win over San Diego Mesa on Friday afternoon.

IVC scored goals in the 16th and 18th minutes and rolled from there.

Sophomore defender Lennart Granzow put IVC on the board in the 16th minute when scored on a header off a corner kick from sophomore forward Ivan Lopez.

Granzow nearly scored on an identical play a few minutes earlier, but the ball was cleared off of the line by a Mesa defender.

After Granzow's goal, IVC found the back of the net just two minutes later. Sophomore forward Grant Milller finished a pass from freshman forward Armon Haghighat to put IVC in front, 2-0.

San Diego Mesa cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the second half, but a goal on a penalty kick by IVC's Lopez in the 75th minute put the game out of reach. Lopez now has four goals and five assists for 13 points on the season.

Irvine Valley out-shot the Olympians, 22-9, in the contest. 

Freshman goalie Josh Simonton played the first half for the Lasers and recorded a clean first half with four saves. Freshman Christopher Arzate was in the net in the second half and recorded one save.

Irvine Valley plays again next Tuesday at home, hosting Cuyamaca at 4 p.m.