<\/p>\n
Millikan definitely had their chances to break their scoreless tie on the road against Poly\u2014three times the ball rolled across the goalmouth, without a successful Ram follow, and they forced Poly’s sophomore goalie, Luis Chavez, to make twelve saves. <\/span>But make them he did, as the strong Poly defense didn’t break in a 0-0 tie that brings Millikan to 3-0-2 in league (tied with 4-0 Wilson for first place), and lifts Poly to 1-2-1, with the win and the tie against Millikan and Cabrillo.<\/p>\n “Sometimes you need a little luck,” said Millikan coach Rod Petkovic after the game, “and sometimes you just don’t get it.” <\/span>Dominating whistled free kicks and midfield play, the Rams got their first great chance on a Robert Burgos cross that rolled slowly across the goal with no cleanup. <\/span>It happened again twice after the intermission, and they had three more good looks in the second half, the final a Burgos free kick in range just before the game ended, which Chavez punched up and then caught.<\/p>\n If there was a standout player in the tie, it was Chavez, who kept the twine clean using just about every trick in the goalie’s book. <\/span>He punched balls high, he went up and caught balls, he came out of the goal to kick a ball away outside the box when a Ram broke through the back line, and he dove headfirst to bat a ball away on the ground. <\/span>He even employed luck, as he was on the good side of Millikan’s bad luck on the un-followed crosses.<\/p>\n “From the first game he’s progressing,” said Poly coach Efren Garcia, who’s very happy to have Chavez back for the next tow years. <\/span>“He’s shut out Cabrillo and <\/em>Millikan now.” <\/span>Garcia also praised his back line, particularly Robert Dominguez, for their efforts in limiting Millikan’s chances.<\/span><\/p>\n Poly wasn’t without their shots as well, most notably a cross from Tanner Padian to Connor Parkin, which gave Parkin an open shot just outside the box midway through the first half. <\/span>Parkin’s shot was high of the mark, clanking off the crossbar and bouncing over the goal. <\/span>The Rabbits spent most of the second half defending their own goal, opting to play defense more than pressing for a score.<\/p>\n “We built the back line first,” said Garcia. <\/span>“Hopefully we can move up to the front for the second round.”<\/p>\n While there was no doubt Poly was happier with the tie than Millikan was, Petkovic maintained it wasn’t a negative for his team. <\/span>“A tie doesn’t hurt on the road,” he said, “it hurts you at home.” <\/span>It was Millikan’s 13th shutout of the season, as Jorge Becerra kept his goal empty as well.<\/p>\n Millikan will have a bye next Wednesday before traveling to Wilson in a game for first place next Friday, while Poly will visit Compton on Wednesday at 3pm.<\/p>\n Come back tomorrow for a full league standings box!<\/span> A great defensive effort by Poly was just enough to hold down Millikan, and the Rams and Rabbits ended in 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"