By Rick Assad
Despite playing on the road at Memorial Field, the Burbank High boys’ soccer team played well when it took on longtime rival Burroughs.
One goal in each half was more than enough as the Bulldogs came through with an impressive 2-0 triumph in a Pacific League match on Tuesday afternoon.
The initial tally came in the 26th minute on a perfect header by senior striker Diego Benis and the other score occurred in the 67th minute on a kick from junior midfielder/forward Joseph Chavez when the goalie came out trying to stop the shot which left an empty net.
Erik Gharibian is Burbank’s varsity head coach and liked what he saw on the field from his squad and felt the match was well played.
“I think we did very well overall to close out the year,” he said. “We did a great job of getting to the final third and getting great chances to score from.”
Chavez opened the proceedings with a kick in the fifth minute that sailed too far right and senior striker Seven Elkin for Burroughs had consecutive kicks in the eighth minute that hit the left post and 12th minute.
Burroughs senior striker Leo Gersh added a kick in the 12th minute, and Elkin contributed a kick in the 13th minute.
Mark Martinez is the head coach at Burroughs and felt his team gave what it had.
“It was definitely a tough loss but a lot of positives to take away,” he said. “Our seniors led with heart and effort in their final match. They battled the entire game and represented the program the right way against our rivals. Proud of how they finished the season.”
Burbank sophomore midfielder/forward/striker Davit Tadevosyan had a kick in the 15th minute that drilled the right post.
Teammate senior midfielder/defender Victor Chtryan tossed in one in the 18th minute.
Consecutive kicks were attempted by Tadevosyan in the 22nd minute and 25th minute before Burroughs sophomore midfielder Ian Major had a 28-yard free kick in the 35th minute.
Elkin had a 35-yard free kick in extra time to cap the first half.
Chtryan had a boot in the 41st minute and junior midfielder Abram MacLean had a kick for the Bears (8-11-2 and 4-9-1 in league for seventh) in the 43rd minute.
In the 44th minute, Elkin had a kick that hit the left post and in the next few minutes Burbank senior midfielder/forward Raymond Soukiazian had a corner kick in the 50th minute.
Chavez had a kick in the 53rd minute and senior midfielder Mike Azdaridis had a kick for the Bulldogs (8-9-4 and 5-5-4 in league for fifth place) in the 58th minute.
Elkin had a kick in the 69th minute and Burbank had a kick in the 72nd minute.
In the 75th minute, junior midfielder/forward/fullback Ashot Grigoryan had an attempt for Burbank and in the 78th minute Tadevosyan had a boot.
Gersh had a kick in extra time to end the match.
