The562’s high school soccer coverage for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Long Beach Poly soccer alum Kennedy Justin.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
Lakewood enters the new season with renewed energy under first-year head coach Angel Ayala, whose experience and tactical approach have already made a strong impression on the program during the offseason.
Ayala coaches at Beach FC and played soccer at Cal State Dominguez Hills before a career that included time with the U.S. Men’s National Team and a stint playing semi-pro in Mexico with Chivas de Guadalajara.
Senior Allison Honeycutt said the transition has been smooth as the team adapts to the systems Ayala wants to implement while also building on each player’s strengths.
“He’s been pretty good. I like what he’s bringing to our team with his experience,” Honeycutt said. “It’s been super cool to see him come in. He definitely looks at us and sees our strengths and weaknesses, and he builds drills specifically for us. He works with us individually and as a team.”
While Honeycutt and the senior class are focused on making a run at a Moore League playoff spot, they’re also embracing their final season with an eye on both performance and legacy.
“All of us seniors are looking forward to our last year and going out strong,” Honeycutt said. “We want to learn all we can from this new coach and leave a good program. We don’t want to just be here and then leave — we want to build something up so there’s a strong program when we’re gone. We’re excited to see the younger girls grow in leadership and in their roles.”
Ayala is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity ahead as he looks to guide the Lancers back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2023–24 season.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited to get the ball rolling with this group of girls,” Ayala said said. “There’s a lot of talent, and I’m excited for the year.”
Along with Honeycutt, Jaslyn Anderson, Kailee Phan, Adrianna Tanaka and Giselle Barbosa will look to make an impact on the pitch.
“The goal this year is obviously to make the playoffs and to build good energy within the team,” Ayala said. “Moving forward, I’m hoping not only to reach the playoffs this year but in the next couple of years, and to create a strong culture for all the incoming freshmen and new players.”
Lakewood will look to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes and strike on the counterattack.
“I’m a firm believer in knocking the ball around, making teams come to us and bite,” he said. “The moment they do, we want to create the spaces behind them and attack the flanks and those open areas.”
Lakewood opens the season on Thursday when it heads to Cerritos to take on Valley Christian.
