NHB wins another tournament

The North Huntington Beach Black boys Under-10 soccer is making it

a habit of winning tournament titles this year.

For the third time in as many attempts, NHB won another championship,

this time winning four games to capture the Orange Coast United

Invitational’s Premiere Division at the Oaks Polo Fields in San Juan

Capistrano.

NHB, now 36-4-1 overall, outscored its four opponents by a combined 15-3.

The Black opened tournament play with a 3-1 win over D’Gala of La Puente.

Esteban Orejel scored on a direct kick and Christian Ramirez scored two

other goals, both coming off Avi Villon assists. A balanced scoring

attack, featuring goals by Ryan Lehane, Ramirez, Bobby Tornel, and Chris

Velez, was the difference in a 4-1 win over the Nitemares of Chino Hills

in second round play.

That win set up a key showdown Sunday morning with heated rival So Cal

United in round three, which NHB won, 2-0. A Villon goal gave the Black a

1-0 halftime lead, and Ramirez scored on an Orejel assist in the second

half to secure the victory. The play of Randy Brito in goal also keyed

the win.

NHB came back Sunday afternoon, minus three starters, to play the Simi

Valley Soccer Club in the division final. The depleted lineup failed to

slow the Black, however, who prevailed in a light drizzle, 6-1. Orejel, a

forward, was on fire in the final with four goals. Jonathan Rivas opened

up the game’s scoring with a header for a 1-0 NHB lead, and Lehane scored

the other Black goal on a direct kick in the second half.

In 13 tournament games this season, the NHB offense has scored 58 goals,

Brito, who has only played in tournament games for the Black this season,

has allowed just eight goals and has posted six shutouts in 13 games.

“Randy’s play has really impressed me,” NHB Coach Alberto Robiatti said

of Brito. “When you have strong goal play like that and score the way our

team does, then it’s easy to win games. These kids have had a great

season so far.”