Rebels reeling

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — While a reversal of recent fortune is certainly something first-year Flintridge Prep boys' soccer Coach Fabrice Gautrat is looking for, he's not ready to tap the panic button yet, either.

From the outset of Thursday's nonleague home match against South Hills, the Rebels were playing catch-up at the Glendale Sports Complex and when all was said and done, Flintridge Prep had lost to the visiting Huskies, 4-0, for its fourth straight loss.

"That's a good team," said Gautrat of South Hills, which is a part of the Division II Sierra League. "They're legit.

"There's no reason to panic. We're OK. We just need to take the little things more seriously."

South Hills (7-4-3) gave Flintridge Prep (3-6-2) problems from literally the first minute of the match and thereon out.

After a Prep defender's clearing kick went off the side of his foot, the ball rested at the feet of South Hills' Carlos Montufar, who promptly blasted a shot on frame that went through the grasp of Rebels goalie Brian Heintz for a 1-0 lead in the first minute of play.

Unfortunately for the Rebels, it was a foreshadowing of things to come, as the Huskies' pinpoint, one-touch passing, overall ball-handling and quickness advantage gave Prep fits all afternoon long.

"Everyone on that team is very skilled," Gautrat said. "We also didn't come very prepared."

South Hills added two more goals in the first half, had two total scores negated due to offsides calls and outshot Flintridge Prep by a staggering 31-4 margin. The Rebels relinquished the first 18 shots of the match, including a 17-0 first-half disparity, and didn't record their initial shot until the 44th minute.

Montufar looked to have scored a second goal in the first half, but his shot hit under the crossbar and bounced out. Another golden chance for the Huskies was snuffed out by Rebels defender Rob Bierman who appeared at the last second to kick away an up-close, one-on-one chance. Moments later, Prep's Manny Perez saved a ball on an open net, but a rebound shot by Arya Tahmassebi made it 2-0 in the 30th minute.

In the 39th minute, Grayson Iwasaki scored the first of his two goals to up South Hills' lead to 3-0.

Heintz had eight saves, while Robby Carroll had two. Defender Eric Kazangian also duplicated Perez' kick save on the goalline on a play in the second half to prevent another South Hills score.