Harvard-Westlake’s Boys Earn a Passing Grade, 2-1

Students at Harvard-Westlake are taking finals this week, but the Wolverine boys’ soccer team passed a test of a different sort Thursday in a Mission League game against Notre Dame.

With Loyola apparently the class of the league, Harvard-Westlake’s 2-1 victory at Notre Dame solidified second place for the Wolverines (11-5, 4-1 in league play).

Notre Dame (5-4-3, 2-1-1) took a 1-0 lead in the third minute on Christian Thomsen’s goal but found itself tied eight minutes later when Lerato Simelane leaped to head in Danny Sable’s corner kick.

Harvard-Westlake got the winning goal in the 18th minute when Simelane, a sophomore from South Africa, sent a pass to Fred Post, whose 30-yard blast curved past goalkeeper Hector Areliz and into the net.

Play remained even until the latter stages of the game, when Notre Dame pressed forward and threatened to forge a tie. But led by senior sweeper Zach Schwartz, the Wolverine defense was equal to the task.

“In my book they wanted it a bit more than we did,� Notre Dame Coach Colm McFeely said. “[Schwartz] had a major part in the outcome. He goes to balls hard, he tackles and he organizes them back there.�

Schwartz, who is considering Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth as his college choices, evokes memories of Jason Morrow, a standout sweeper at Harvard-Westlake who was a senior and a member of The Times’ all-region team during the 1995-96 season.

That team was the Wolverines’ last to make the playoffs and Schwartz believes this squad can earn a postseason berth.

“That team with Jason and even last year’s team had more talent than our team now but I’ve never played on a team with more heart than this one,� Schwartz said.

In other boys’ games:

Canoga Park 2, Reseda 2--Canoga Park’s Israel Torres scored the game’s final goal midway through the second half, allowing the Hunters to surprise the Regents (9-0-3, 6-0-2) in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game at Reseda.

North Hollywood 3, Van Nuys 1--Reserve Walter Perez scored two goals in the second half for the Huskies (6-2, 6-2) in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game at North Hollywood.

Ventura 2, Oxnard 1--Mike Enfield scored twice in the second half, including the winner with four minutes to play and the Cougars (9-5-1, 3-3-1) won a Channel League game at Ventura.

GIRLS

Alemany 3, Flintridge Sacred Heart 3--Erin Granados scored as regulation time expired and teammate Karen McMillan added a goal with a minute remaining in overtime to give the Indians (6-6-3, 2-1-2) a Mission League draw at St. Francis High.

Cleveland 2, Kennedy 1--Angela Veliz scored twice to lift the Cavaliers (11-4, 3-1) in a West Valley League game at Kennedy.

El Camino Real 1, Palisades 0--Melissa Cleal’s first-half goal gave the Conquistadores (6-3-1, 2-1-1) a Coast-Valley League victory at El Camino Real.

Birmingham 6, San Fernando 0--Krissy Oakes scored four goals, giving her 27 this season, for the Braves (9-2-1, 4-0) in a West Valley League game at San Fernando.