ANAHEIM – After the season opener, Servite coach Jon Spencer made a request. Can someone not playing on defense please score for the Friars.
Servite finished with three goals that day, and each one was knocked in by a defender.
“I kind of game them a hard time,” Spencer said. “I said, ‘Guys, I’m tired of the defense always carrying this team.’”
It appears that at least one forward is working to make sure that’s not doesn’t happen again.
Garrett Amador scored three goals as host Servite cruised to a 5-0 nonleague victory against Santiago of Corona on Wednesday. After the junior forward headed in a long throw in the 66th minute to score his team-leading fifth goal this season and complete his hat trick, he sprinted to the sideline to celebrate with the students watching in the grandstand.
“He is critical to us. He is what our team is about, hard work,” Spencer said. “He’s never been out to pad his stats. He puts the team first.”
Amador scored what turned out to be the game winner in the 8th minute when he knocked in a rebound, and then added his second goal 12 minutes later, heading in a free kick from James Moore.
Andrew Acosta and Matthew Pennino also scored for the Friars, who have scored 12 goals through three games this season. Last winter, it took Servite eight games to break the 10-goal barrier.
“We have been working on that (goal scoring). We have established a defensive mentality,” Spencer said. Last season, the Friars gave up only eight goals and ended the season with 18 shutouts, both school records.
“Now, the defensive mentality is going to translate into more goal scoring opportunities for us,” Spencer said.
Looking at the results so far this season, it might appear that the Friars’ defense isn’t as relentless as in the past, having given up four goals in its first two games.
But Servite has been without senior goal keeper Keith Murphy and senior defender Elijah Barajas, both All CIF First team selections last season.
They have been playing with their club teams. Spencer said they should rejoin the Friars next week in time for the Lotto Sport Western Showcase which will be held in San Clemente Dec. 18-20.
Matt Luberski was in goal for the Friars on Wednesday and made three saves in recording Servite’s first shutout of the season.
“Today we talked about getting a shutout. But could I have told you before hand that it would happen? I couldn’t have done that,” Spencer said. “We have not done poorly defensive. We have just made some small mistake. We are trying to sharpen up our team. We are no way in CIF or league for, but things are going well.”
