2025-26 Boys Soccer

Reloading: Sunnyside captures Brandon Bean Invitational title with new young standouts

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Sunnyside’s top four scorers from last year are gone to graduation, opening the door to new players to shine for the perennial power.

The Blue Devils shut out three straight opponents en route to a championship after learning from a loss in which they allowed three goals to Ironwood Ridge during pool play on the second day of the Brandon Bean Invitational.

“The loss turned it around with the realization we needed to step it up, so the seniors would not come up short,” said junior Marc Urrea-Salinas, who earned the most outstanding goalkeeper award of the invitational after the Blue Devils’ 1-0 win over Mica Mountain in the championship game Friday at Salpointe.

The Blue Devils (4-1) followed the 3-2 loss to Ironwood Ridge with a 2-0 win over Tucson High and wins of 1-0 scores over Salpointe and Mica Mountain.

The goal against Mica Mountain occurred only 12 seconds into the match when sophomore Pedro Vega achieved his third goal of the young season.

Fellow sophomore Michael Montesino leads Sunnyside with four goals.

“I’m still frustrated about the loss (to Ironwood Ridge), I’m not going to lie,” said Sunnyside coach Casey O’Brien, who is 190-38-8 in his 11th season leading the program. “It kind of shows that we’re young and we’re still growing.”

O’Brien noted that some of the top players with Tucson, Salpointe and Mica Mountain did not compete in the Brandon Bean Invitational because they played in a club tournament.

Sunnyside took care of business with a majority of its players able to compete.

“All three of those teams are going to be so good this year, so for us, this shows us we have a lot of work to do because when all those guys come back to those teams, it’s going to be a super competitive game between us,” O’Brien said. “Maybe they have the advantage, I don’t know. I hope our kids are happy about this (winning the Brandon Bean Invitational title), but I also hope we see that we have to put the work in to grow a little bit more.”

One of the seniors on the team, midfielder Aron Ayala, was named the outstanding field player of the invitational.

His contribution showed more with his leadership than in the box score during the tournament, a necessary element inasmuch as Sunnyside’s top four in points are underclassmen.

Montesino has eight points off four goals, and Vega is next with seven (three goals and an assist).

Brian Bacahui, a junior, has two points and juniors Fernando Jimenez-Vasquez and Israel Luquez also have one.

Marcos Bustamante is the lone senior who has scored with one point.

Vega has a more substantial role on the team this year, similar to Urrea-Salinas, because of players who have graduated and moved on to college soccer.

“First of all, I’m very happy not only for myself but for the coaching staff that works very hard,” Vega said through interpreter Joa’o Lara. “They’re always out very early. This is not only for me, but for everyone involved.”

Sunnyside’s top four scorers last year, including Angel Bracamontes-Pulido, exhausted their eligibility. Bracamontes-Pulido finished with 99 points (32 goals and 35 assists) last year.

Urrea-Salinas replaced Miguel Lugo in the net. Lugo tallied 94 saves last year.

“I learned his motivation and his skills, his way to not give up even if you’re getting scored on,” Urrea-Salinas said of Lugo.

Vega scored seven goals and had two assists last year, giving him 16 points.

Montesino is in his first season at the varsity level with O’Brien’s program.

“The attitude and work ethic of this team is the probably the best I’ve had in maybe five or six years,” said O’Brien, who coached Sunnyside to an unbeaten record and state title in 2019. “Our work ethic’s really, really good at our school, generally, but this team has taken it to another level.

“Given how young they are and how hard they work has allowed us to grow to a point where we can compete with anybody right now. …. Their work ethic, their attitude, it’s a fun group. I’m legitimately happy every day to go to practice. They’re fun to be around. They really do listen. I appreciate the fact that they really do listen and they take everything in. It’s fun to coach a group that wants to be coached.”

Sunnyside next hosts Tempe Corona del Sol on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Mica Mountain (3-2) will play at Mountain View on Monday at 6 p.m.

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