Monrovia Tops PHS 3-0 in Battle of SGV’s Best

David Johnson (10) battles a Pasadena defender for possession.
– Photo by Jacob Bigley

By Christian Romo

Two defending San Gabriel Valley league champions met for their annual matchup, and for the second time in three years, the Wildcats came out on top.

Scoring three goals in a fifteen-minute stretch, the Monrovia Wildcats (4-1-2) beat the Pasadena High Bulldogs (5-2), 3-0, Tuesday afternoon in Pasadena. Senior captain Jonathan Goettling (9) participated in all three goals, scoring one in the 73^rd minute, assisting on another in the 71^st, and indirectly setting up junior Keenan Mckelvey (15) to open the scoring in the middle of the second half.

“We utilized our speed well to beat ‘em on the attack, and that’s how we got most of our goals,” said Goettling. He put a shot on goal on a breakaway in the 58^th minute, and a ricocheted save set up Mckelvey’s second goal of the season.

Mckelvey’s (15) ricocheted shot bounced over the defenders head for the first goal.
– Photo by Jacob Bigley

Sophomore David Johnson (10) converted a Goettling cross in the 71^st minute on one of his game-high nine shots, sparking a recently struggling Wildcat offense for his fourth goal of the season. “The past couple of games, we weren’t playing that good,” said Johnson, “but today we played better as a team. We didn’t finish too many chances, but we got the job done.”

The Bulldogs outshot the Wildcats in the first half, but missed many opportunities to take an early lead. “They played well in the first half, and then they just collapsed,” said PHS head coach Cherif Zein of his team. Senior Danny Garcia (17) shot twice on goal, but his team only mustered eleven more shots throughout the match, and none on target. “We’re playing with players that aren’t regular players,” said Zein, who added that his team hopes to return five starters in January.

The Wildcats took shape with quick passes in the midfield and speed attacking through the PHS back line. “Physicality-wise, everything looked magnificent,” said assistant coach Joel Cortez, who took over coaching duties for the match. “These kids, they kept on pushing on until the last minute of the game,” he said, adding that the win is “a huge boost” for their confidence.

Keenan Mckelvey (15) sprints towards Pasadena High’s goalie.
– Photo by Jacob Bigley

The Wildcats will play their last preseason tournament next weekend, facing off against Elsinore, Victor Valley, and West Covina in Duarte. The Bulldogs have a local match-up, hosting La Salle on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., before starting league play in January.

[Correction: an article last week should have named PHS’s number 11 as Edgardo Artero, not José Flores, as initially written]