The Irvine Valley men’s soccer team recorded its third win in its last four games and fourth positive result over that time with a 3-0 victory over Orange Coast in an Orange Empire Conference game at IVC.
The Lasers, who had tied, Orange Coast, 0-0, the first time the two teams met on Oct. 2, had little trouble with the Pirates, who were playing their third game in three days.
Irvine Valley out-shot Orange Coast, 16-3, in the contest. Many of the Lasers’ shots were good chances to score.
The Lasers got on the board in the 21st minute when sophomore defender Darren Whitty scored on a volley off a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Mark Shadrack.
IVC made it a 2-0 game five minutes later. Freshman midfielder Jack Plummer played a pass through to sophomore forward Erik Van Der Meulen. Van Der Meulen took a couple of touches and then beat OCC keeper Dane Fernandez with an inside-out right-footed shot to the near post.
Plummer nearly scored from close range a few minutes later, but his shot from a tough angle at close range bounced off the post.
The half ended with IVC ahead, 2-0.
Whitty nearly scored off another IVC corner kick play 13 minutes into the second half. But his header was knocked away by Fernandez.
Van Der Meulen went after his second goal in the 67th minute, but his shot from inside the top of the box went wide right.
Freshman midfielder Ashley Cattermole nearly scored after a series of nice moves to shake a couple of OCC defenders on the left side. But his shot was saved nicely on a leaping grab by Fernandez.
Van Der Meulen did get a second goal, scoring in the 84th minute. Goalie Mikhail Radchuk played a long kick from the back. The ball bounced past the defense and Van Der Meulen out-raced a defender and put it away. The two goals were Van Der Meulen's sixth and seventh of the season.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 11-4-3 overall and 6-2-3 in conference, while the Pirates slipped to 7-8-4 overall and 3-6-2 in conference.
Irvine Valley went into the contest tied for second place in the conference standings with Santiago Canyon, seven points behind first-place Santa Ana.
The Lasers play again on Friday, traveling to Golden West for a 7 p.m. game.