FIRST HALF HELPS LIFT CALABASAS BOYS' SOCCER: GOALS BY CLIFTON, STERES HOLD UP IN WIN.

Byline: Lindsay Czarnecki

Special to the Daily News

CALABASAS -- Confidence is Calabasas, and that's what the boys' soccer team was preaching after it took possession of first place in the Marmonte League with a 2-1 home victory against Newbury Park (4-4-1, 4-2-1) on Wednesday night.

Sophomore forward Trent Clifton had a goal and an assist in the first half to avenge the Coyotes' 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Dec.14 in their first league game.

"When we lost to them 4-1, at the beginning of the season it was a big blow," Clifton said. "Now we come here and we're in first place, taking first from them, and we just want to keep it up for the rest of the season."

Senior forward Daniel Steres scored the first goal for the Coyotes (6-4-4, 5-2-0) 15 minutes into the game by picking up a pass from Clifton and moving by one defender before shooting the ball inside the left post.

Newbury Park coach Guy Sanford insisted the Calabasas team his team faced Wednesday was not the same one his group played in December.

Throughout most of the game, the Coyotes dominated with passes that stretched the field north and south. One pass resulted in Clifton's goal with just three minutes left in the opening frame.

"They have a long ball game and I guess we're not prepared for that," Sanford said. "It was a good game it was well played and they deserved the win."

Clifton was racing down the left sideline when Harrison Doyle launched a pass that he tracked down, made one sidestep around a defender, and scored about 10 feet out from the left of the net.

With that, the Coyotes took a 2-0lead into halftime.

"To be honest we're not a second-half team," Calabasas coach Kurt Millet said. "We've got to put the game away early. The second half is where we try to defend and hold the lead, but if we can put it away early, the guys' confidence builds up and they keep things organized."

Calabasas stuck to that game plan and was able to hang on for the win after Newbury Park's Vincent Muscarella scored 10 minutes into the second half by finishing a cross from Alex McKay that went all the way across the box.

"We're just buzzing with confidence, we're so into it right now..." Clifton said. "Winning league would be awesome and right now in first (place), it's in our hands."

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