Don't tell the Irvine Valley men's soccer team that the season is winding down.
The Lasers continued to play some of their best soccer of the season in beating Norco, 4-2, in an Orange Empire Conference match on Friday at home.
It was IVC's last contest of the regular season and another good one.
Irvine Valley has won its last three matches in a row and has out-scored opponents, 17-3.
It beat Cypress, 8-1, last week, topped Pasadena City, 5-0, on Wednesday and then scored four straight goals to take down Norco.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 7-9-3 overall and 4-6-4 in conference play. Norco's record slipped to 5-8-3 overall and 2-8-2 in conference.
The Lasers controlled most of the action throughout the match, but Norco got on the board first.
In the 35th minute. Deshawn Mendel made an impressive run, taking the ball nearly 80 years, beating a couple of defenders and then sliding a shot past IVC freshman keeper Nathan King to give Norco a 1-0 lead.
Irvine Valley came right back, however.
In the 39th minute, freshman midfielder Joshue Gallardo sent a ball into the middle to sophomore forward Daniel Segal, who gathered, shook a defender and then blasted a left-footed shot into the back of the net to tie the score.
And just five minutes later, Irvine Valley grabbed the lead for good.
IVC earned a free kick just outside of the box. Sophomore forward Grant Joyce hit a hard ball into the middle that Segal headed in with authority to make it a 2-1 IVC lead.
Segal had two more opportunities early in the second half, including one on a header that went just over the goal.
But the Lasers made it a 3-1 lead in the 84th minute when freshman midfielder Gibae Kim scored off a pass from Segal.
And just two minutes later, Joyce hit a shot that rebounded back to sophomore defender Alexis Campos and he one-timed a left-footed strike into the net to cap Irvine Valley's scoring on the day.
Norco scored a late goal in the 86th minute after a penalty kick was awarded. Laketric Mendel made it a 4-2 final score by converting.
King had to make just one save on the day for the Lasers in goal.
It was the final home game for Laser sophomore players Jared Yap, Kristian Sabatino, Mahyar Shabani, Segal, Joyce, Anaya, Michael Davis and Sergio Montes.
Irvine Valley plays its final match of the regular season next Friday at Santiago Canyon at 3 p.m.
