Goalkeeping is not something new to Burbank High senior Erik Atanesyan. But defending Burbank’s goal is something Atanesyan had yet to do until this season.
Saturday afternoon he came up huge a number of times in allowing the Bulldogs salvage a 0-0 tie against a fine Muir High side.
“I’ve been a goalie my whole life. The last two years I’ve been playing striker because we had a really good goalie and I didn’t want to take his position,” Atanesyan said. ‘We could have scored but we move on. Hopefully in the next game against Hoover we’ll do a lot better.”
Atanesyan, who finished with nine saves, came up big in the 11th minute when he cleared a headed shot off the goal line.
Atanesyan had the goal covered in the 18th minute when Muir’s Anthony Silva hit the top cross bar on a long shot.
He saved a shot from Muir’s Jacob Hernandez in the 29th minute.
Burbank (11-2-3 overall, 2-1-1 in league) started slow, but started to pick up late in the first half.
Ashot Grigoryan fired a blast in the 34th, but it went just high of the target.
Atanesyan came up huge with a foot save on a shot by Muir’s Lithum De Silva in the 36th minute.
Burbank’s Harout Akopyan also had a solid opportunity in the 38th minute only to see his shot go just high of the goal.
Atanesyan came up with another save off a shot from Silva in the 57th minute and a shot from Muir’s Jai Brooks in the 65th minute.
“He’s had a great season so far. He kept us in the game today. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get anything up top,” Burbank coach Johnny Rotunno said of his goalkeeper.
Burbank’s Diego Benis had a chance in the 69th minute, but his shot was saved by Muir goalie Leonardo Cruz.
Muir is now 7-1-4 overall and 0-0-2 in league.
