The CIF San Diego Section Open Division Final featured a rematch of IL West No. 3 Torrey Pines (Calif.) and La Costa Canyon (Calif.). In the first meeting, the Falcons emerged with a four-goal victory.
The second game was not as close.
A fully dominant Torrey Pines squad marched to their sixth-straight CIF title, outperforming the Mavericks at the face-off X, on groundballs, in offensive firepower, goalie play and on the final scoreboard: 18-4 to the Falcons.
Torrey Pines’s started at the face-off dot, where sophomore Foster Huang won 22-of-25 (88%), completely controlling the possession and flow of the game. Goalie Andrew Cook (Johns Hopkins) made five saves (55.5%), finishing his high school career as one of the best goalies in the country.
Offensively, the Falcons came out firing, goals from Matthew Mannarino (Rutgers), John Prior (Army) and Cole Loizu put their team up 4-0 at the end of the first quarter. The offensive dominance did not let up and TP continued to make it, take it, leading 8-0 before La Costa Canyon answered with a goal of their own, when Beau Hokanson (Princeton) found Tommy Bull (Sacred Heart) on the crease for an easy dunk. Prior and Mannarino continued to pepper the goalie with shots. Ryland Roach (UMass) and sophomore Ross Jacobsen got in on the action, bringing the halftime score to 11-1.
The second half started off just as the first had let off — Huang took the face-off all the way down and finished. Prior added a man-up goal directly after. LCC’s Leo Nilsen tried to stop the bleeding, with a great sweet from the lefty wing, bringing the score to 13-2. That didn’t last for long, as Roach continued the Falcons’ offensive onslaught.
Hokanson kept fighting the whole game, trying to be a spark for his LCC squad, forcing a turnover that led to a Jackson Schaffer goal off an unsettled situation. But that respite was short-lived and TP added four more goals to bring the score to 18-3 before LCC added a late man-up goal from Evan Henke, setting the final.
Torrey Pines Standouts
John Prior, Jr., M | Army
Prior stood out for his performance on so many levels. He scored a hat trick, had hustle plays causing turnovers, demonstrated phenomenal hand-eye coordination and concentration on some tough passes. Prior has one more year left at Torrey Pines and is coming to prove that even with graduating such a large and important senior class, they are still the team to beat in San Diego.
Foster Huang, So., FO | Uncommitted
Huangʼs dominance at the dot allowed Torrey Pines to completely control possession of the ball throughout the game. He finished at 88% and scored a goal. He showcased a variety of exits against many different face-off specialists for LCC. Huang is getting more comfortable with the ball in his stick and I expect Foster to have a big summer ahead.
Matthew Mannarino, Sr., M | Rutgers
Mannarino was the party starter for Torrey Pines and finishes his high school career with a dominant performance, helping to set the record for largest margin of victory in CIF title history. Matt stood out on the field with his quick release and ability to finish from stepdowns, jump shots and shots on the run.
Ryland Roach, Sr., M | UMass
Roach is one of the seniors that helps leave a legacy at Torrey Pines. He leads by example, not only by putting the ball in the net but all aspects on the field. Roach has a phenomenal shot that found its way to the back of the net three times. He has a very visible presence on their man-up unit and is a threat to score from many places on the field.
