Pilot Cup: St. Joachim steps up with 5-3 win

COSTA MESA — At halftime of a Daily Pilot Cup boys' third- and fourth-grade pool play game Wednesday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex, it was anyone's game, with St. Joachim leading Harbor Day, 2-1.

But two quick goals scored within the first 10 minutes of the second half was the difference, as the Sea Kings of St. Joachim took a 4-1 lead in defeating the Seahawks, 5-3.

St. Joachim rebounded strong, looking like a different team than the one on Tuesday that lost to Mariners, 5-0. The Sea Kings (1-1 in pool play) are in second place in the Gold Division Pool 'F' standings behind Mariners (1-0).

At 6:30 p.m. on Friday on Field No. 3 at the Hammett Sports Complex, Harbor Day (0-1) will play Mariners.

"Mariners are a tough, tough team," St. Joachim head coach Mark Tyssee said. "My kids came out today and said, 'Hey, we're going to come out today and play as hard as we can, give it all we got' and I couldn't ask for anything more out of them … we played a hell of a game today."

Marek Miller scored off a corner kick to open the second half for a two-goal lead, then St. Joachim forward Nick Segovia completed his hat trick in the 34th minute on a big, lethal boot that landed in the center of the net for a 4-1 lead.

Segovia, a 10-year-old fourth-grader, used his speed and goal scoring know-how to finish with his second hat trick this season.

"I had four goals earlier this season," Segovia said. "It's cool. It was really fun out there because I was playing with my friends."

After the Seahawks struck first on Matt Duma's sprint move down the left flank, Segovia scored the equalizer in the 22nd minute to tie the game at 1. He pounced on a quick turnover deep in Harbor Day's zone and scored just within the goal box and from the right side.

"It was a duel between our left-footed kid and their kid," Harbor Day head coach Vince McGuinness said. "We made some mistakes on defense. We had two offside goals called back, so we played too aggressive there. That one kid (Segovia) had a phenomenal foot on him. He scored one goal from the outside. There was a lot of scoring, it was a matter of who had the momentum at the end. They had the momentum in the second half."

Two minutes later, Segovia put away the go-ahead goal for a 2-1 lead. He put on a speed move, outmaneuvering a couple defenders and scored on Kyle Mix, who moved away from the net in an attempt to stop the ball. Mix played well and he had four saves. Ryan Steinke took over in the second half.

The Seahawks gave a great effort in attempting to tie the game. Duma's second goal came on a free kick and cut the lead to 4-2. Carter Shannon's goal in the 45th minute extended the lead to three goals.

St. Joachim goalie Cian Sekas made a diving save, one of six on the day.