The Irvine Valley men's soccer team captured its first So. Cal. Regional Playoff win since 2017 on Wednesday afternoon at home.
The Lasers, seeded 13th, got off to a strong start and beat No. 20 Antelope Valley, 3-1.
It was also the first playoff victory for first-year head coach Conor Ward.
Ward has been a top assistant for the Lasers the previous three season and took over the reigns of the program when legendary IVC coach Martin McGrogan, who won two state titles, retired this summer.
"I am very happy," Ward said. "Of course I was a little bit nervous coming into this, but the performance from the boys was everything it needed to be. We were deserved winners in the end."
Irvine Valley attacked from the opening kick and scored the first three goals of the match.
It started in the 23rd minute when sophomore midfielder Julian Svoboda scored one of the nicest goals of the season for the Lasers.
He took a pass from freshman forward Emiliano Chavez and hit a left-footed shot from outside the box on the right side that curved around the AVC keeper, just inside the post and in.
"He has had 14 assists this year and just one goal," Ward said. "So for him to hit the back of the net was special for us. He is a captain on this team and really stepped up."
Nine minutes later, Irvine Valley took a 2-0 advantage. Off of a corner kick and a shot and then a battle for the ball, freshman defender Lennart Granzow knocked the ball in.
And the Lasers put the match away midway through the second half. With Antelope Valley pushing forward, Irvine Valley took over the ball, pushed forward and freshman midfielder Jacob Edwards found freshman forward Grant Miller with a through ball.
Miller didn't miss, putting the ball in the back of the net for his 14th goal of the season. Edwards recorded his fifth assist.
Antelope Valley got on the board in the final minute when Chris Romero scored on a long shot.
Freshman goalie Tygo Steenvoorden and the defense limited Antelope Valley opportunities most of the afternoon. Steenvoorden finished with three saves on the day.
"It wasn't only the defense, but the whole team," Ward said. "We defended well together as a unit, which is one of the things we ask for. We were very pleased with what we saw today."
The Lasers move on to take on No. 4 El Camino on Saturday in the next round under the lights at 6 p.m.
IVC played the Warriors in the first contest of the season on Aug. 30 at El Camino. The Lasers competed with El Camino for most of the game before falling, 3-0.
This season, the Warriors finished the year with a 16-2-2 overall record and had the second-best record in the South Coast Conference behind No. 1 overall seed Cerritos.
"We are looking forward to the game with El Camino," Ward said. "They are very good, but this is what the playoffs are all about. The players will be ready for it."
