Monterey boys soccer

 There was an expectation. It wasn't met.

The foundation that Monterey built in 2017 for boys soccer vanished last season, leaving players to question their dedication.

"We lacked leadership and confidence," senior Isaac Lomeli said. "We went back and reflected on our mistakes before this season started. You can't do your own thing."

But as a unit playing as one with chemistry and cohesiveness, the Toreadores are putting together a  historic season this winter.

Monterey's 9-1 win Friday over Pajaro Valley stretched its school record winning streak to 14 games --  11 more wins than last year.

"The mindset changed," said Lomeli, who was a part of the title team in 2017. "So has the attitude. That was the main factor. We've become a team."

It wasn't that the Toreadores played that poorly last year during a 3-8-6 season. In addition to the six ties, they lost four games by one goal.

"They wanted to build off that," Monterey coach Josimar Herrera said. "We competed. It was more of a mental thing. When something went wrong last year, they let it go to their heads."

Since opening the season with a loss to Soledad, the Toreadores have surged, outscoring teams 57-5 during their 14-game winning streak.

A big part of that has been Lomeli, who has scored at least a point in 14 of the team's 15 games this year, accounting for nine goals and 10 assists.

"He came in hungrier, motivated and became a leader," Herrera said. "The way he conducts himself as a person and athlete has changed everything for us. It's gotten contagious."

Feeling there was a lack of leadership last year, Lomeli stepped forward, determined to get back to where the Toreadores were during his sophomore year in 2017.

"I want to lead by example," Lomeli said. "But it's not just me. Six of us were on that team in 2017. We got a chance to experience what success feels like. It's a lot better than the alternative."

Of those six returning players, four of them got into the act Friday, with Erik Cabrera scoring two goals, Ariel Perez and Lomeli both having a goal and an assist, and Javier Espinal scoring one.

"This group has put the time in," Herrera said. "It's a humble group. They have worked so hard in their training. It's a different culture this year."

This is also a group that embraces their roles and shares the wealth. Juan Arechiga and Mark Diego came into the game with a combined 20 goals. Neither scored.

Instead, it was Jose Rios-Lara recording a hat trick with three goals in the season-high explosion, padding his season total to nine.

Six different players produced goals for Monterey against the Grizzlies. About the only thing that didn't go right in the win is when it allowed a goal for the first time in five games.

"The mindset is they hold themselves to a high standard," Herrera said. "A winning team is one that is on the same page."

During its run of dominance, Monterey has only been involved in three games decided by a goal, each time posting a 1-0 shutout.

In fact, goalies Adrian Arechiga and Christopher Castillejos have combined to earn eight shutouts.

"You know what we focus on is fixing things," Lomeli said. "Our goal is to get better each game and correct the mistakes we make. We're not satisfied with where we are."

As good as Monterey has been during the first three months of the season, forgive Herrera for being a little selfish and wanting to see his squad reach its full potential.

"There are little things we need to fix," Herrera said. "We can improve. We all understand that. We just keep building. They want to keep this ship going forward."

Herrera doesn't bring up the prospects of a big run in the postseason. There are goals throughout the year that need to be met first.

But for those six that got a taste of the postseason in 2017, beating Alisal in the playoffs before losing to Carlmont of Belmont on penalty kicks, they want more.

"Sure we do," Lomeli said.

"Right now our goal is to win our league," Herrera said. "We know going into the second round of league it will be more difficult. When you're humble, you don't look ahead."