Pacific League competition will begin at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday with Crescenta Valley, Glendale and Hoover all in action. Crescenta Valley will host Burbank, Glendale will face visiting Arcadia and Hoover will travel to Pasadena.
The top four teams from league qualify for the playoffs in November. Crescenta Valley, Glendale and Hoover all marched to the playoffs last season with the Falcons claiming their aforementioned CIF title and the Nitros and Tornadoes both advancing to the second round.
“This is the position that we are practically in every year,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Jan Sakonju, whose team went 8-0 in league last season. “We are used to being the target.
“It’s going to be a stronger league with better competition. If it’s not, then it can make you complacent in October while getting ready for the playoffs.”
Glendale, which finished second in league last season at 6-2, and Hoover, which went 5-3 for third place, will strive to be thorns in Crescenta Valley’s side this season.
Glendale has a new coach in Forest Holbrook, who will look to blend a mix of veterans and youth to get back into the playoffs. Hoover will turn to sophomore utility player Hakop Kaplanyan, who has scored more than 100 goals this season, to also reach the postseason.
“For our guys, plain and simple, we are not looking at wins and losses,” Holbrook said. “We are a dangerous team when we play our best game.
“We are not stressing the other teams in league. Crescenta Valley is the top program right now and I’m not afraid to say that. We’ve got some guys who can play and we are only focusing on our first league match.”
