Irvine Valley's men's soccer team won its fourth match in its last five games and started Orange Empire Conference play with an impressive 4-1 victory over Orange Coast at home Tuesday.
The Lasers leveled their overall record at 4-4.
IVC next travels to district rival Saddleback this Friday at 3 p.m.
Sophomore forward Isaac Nixon stood out for Irvine Valley Tuesday.
He scored three goals on the day and now has seven goals in seven matches that he has played on the year.
Nixon gave IVC an early lead, scoring in the third minute.
Sophomore midfieder Finn Monk played the ball down the left side and Nixon ran on to it, beat a defender and hit a right-footer inside the far post.
That was the only score of the first haf, though IVC had several more chances.
Monk, freshman midfielder Sungho Yun and freshman forward Drew Payne all created opportunites. Payne beat the OCC keeper in the 34th minute, but it was called offsides.
Orange Coast tied the game eight minutes into the second half on a goal from Luca Petruolo.
But the Lasers took over the rest of the way.
Nixon scored his second goal of the contest off of a cross from freshman forward Jonathan Minney in the 61st minute.
The Lasers went ahead, 3-1, four minutes later with a nice set up.
Yun hit a free kick into the box where freshman defender Michael Baumgaertel headed it back across to Minney, who knocked the ball into the back of the net.
IVC finished up its scoring in the 71st minute. Nixon grabbed his hat trick with a goal.
Sophomore forward Armin Tehranhi sent a pass in from the left side and Nixon finished with a one-timer.
Irvine Valley freshman goaie Sansiro Murata ended with one save on the day.
