The San Marcos boys soccer team didn’t allow a goal in two matches at the South Torrance Tournament on Tuesday.
The Royals opened with a 3-0 win over San Pedro and then drew with perennial power Bell Gardens, 0-0. They lost in a penalty-kick shootout, 5-4.
Despite the setback, San Marcos won its group and advanced to the winners’ bracket. They’ll face Animo High at 11 a.m. at Redondo Union.
In the opener, Leonel Olivo forced a turnover and scored on a 20-yard shot to open the scoring for San Marcos.
Tully Knoles then took charge. He ripped a ball into the upper right corner of the goal from 30 yards and later fed a beautiful through ball to Kevin Sanchez, who chipped the oncoming goalkeeper for the third goal.
“We were pleased with our first match, and every player played lots of minutes,” said coach Paul McLean. “We had good leadership from Leo Vico and Stevie Bradley on the backline, and our attackers finished their chances.”
“The second game we were sluggish and unmotivated to do the work to score goals and settled for a tie. Wednesday’s matches will be a strong test for us.”
The Royals are 6-0-1.