With five teams at, or above .500 in the standings, it looks like it will be another dogfight for the top of the Orange Empire Conference standings in men's soccer for 2021.

With several teams loaded with veteran players from the COVID pandemic as well as several standout newcomers, the OEC is completely up for grabs and every matchup will carry significant importance with the playoffs right around the corner.

In alphabetical order, here is a breakdown of each team, heading into OEC play.

CYPRESS (4-2-2) – It's been a solid start to the 2021 season for the Chargers, who opened things with wins over San Diego Mesa (3-1), Citrus (5-0), Southwestern (1-0) and East Los Angeles (5-2).

Cypress has depth up front with five players scoring multiple goals this season, including Alfonso Montano (four goals), Daniel Klebau (three goals, three assists), Nomar Ibarra (two goals, two assists), Julio Perez (two goals, two assists) and Seth Ponce (three goals).

Freshman goalkeeper Alex Felix has been steady in goal, posting a 1.04 GAA in five matches with 14 saves, while teammate Eduardo Rivera has allowed seven goals in three games (2.33 GAA) with 10 saves.

FULLERTON (6-2-1) – Always a force in the OEC, the defending OEC champion Hornets – seasoned with nine sophomores on the roster -- look to keep that trend moving forward in 2021, posting six wins through their first nine contests, including Oxnard (3-1), Bakersfield (4-0), Lake Tahoe (5-0), Canada (3-1), Cuyamaca (1-0) and Compton (3-0).

Much like the Chargers, the Hornets have a well-balanced attack with six different players with two goals each, including sophomore returner Steve Perez (2G, 3A), Chance Alviso (2G, 1A), Giovanni Marsh, Ryan Meinardus, Jose Luis Ruelas Jr. and Rogelio Silva (2G each).

Sophomore goalkeeper Andres Ramirez continues his fine play in 2021, allowing just six goals in nine matches (0.67 GAA) with 39 saves.

GOLDEN WEST (4-0-3) – The lone unbeaten member of the OEC fraternity, the Rustlers look to be the early favorite heading into OEC play after notching wins over L.A. City (2-1), MiraCosta (4-0), Compton (2-0) and L.A. Mission (4-1), with solid ties against College of the Desert (0-0), Long Beach (1-1) and Santa Monica (2-2).

Sophomore standout Ricky Briseno leads the Rustlers in goals (four) and points (10) and has also dished out a pair of assists in seven matches for GWC. Marcus Gonzalez and William Valderrama also have multi-goal seasons for the Rustlers with two each, while Jonathan Ruiz leads GWC in assists with three.

The goalie tandem of Luis Adrian-Covarrubias and Benjamin Grisman have combined to allow just four goals in 630 minutes of action with a GAA of 0.57.

IRVINE VALLEY (4-5) – After a rough 1-4 start to the season against some top competition, the Lasers are entering OEC play with momentum after a 3-1 stretch, including a solid 2-0 win against state-ranked Rio Hondo, as well as wins over San Diego Mesa (3-1) and Southwestern (3-2).

Freshman forward Ivan Lopez is one of the top newcomers in the conference, leading the Lasers with four goals, two assists (10 points) through eight matches. Close behind Lopez is sophomore Victor Onofre with three goals and an assist (7 points) and Sam Al Qaraghuli (1G. 2A, 4pts).

Freshman goalkeeper Isaac Hernandez has been steady for the Lasers with a 1.85 GAA, allowing just 12 goals in 585 minutes of action with one shutout.

ORANGE COAST (4-1-1) – The 2019-20 OEC runner-up Pirates look to be right back in the thick of things in 2021 after posting impressive wins over L.A. Harbor (3-0), MiraCosta (1-0), Southwestern (3-0) and San Diego City (2-1) to go along with a hard-fought scoreless tie against East Los Angeles.

Coast is led by a pair of sophomore returners – forward and 2019 OEC MVP Danny Vargas (4 goals, two assists, 10 points) and Tino Varona (2G, 1A, 5 pts) as well as freshman Armand Pigeon (3G, 1A, 7 pts). The OCC defense, which leads the conference with only four goals allowed through six matches, is anchored by sophomore Tony Tobon, and freshmen Jared Velazquez, Padric Pigeon and Will Hooper.

In goal, Luke Fyvie has carried the bulk of the load for OCC, allowing just three goals with four shutouts and a 0.50 GAA.

SANTA ANA (3-3-2) – The Dons opened 2021 strong with a 3-1-1 record with wins over West Valley (2-0), L.A. Mission (2-1) and Palomar (2-0) but have a tie and two losses in their last three matches heading into conference play against some top competition.

Santa Ana has four players with two goals each, including Marcelo Aguirre (2G, 2A, 5 pts), Jose Villa (2G, 1A, 5 pts), Joshua Lezama (2G, 4 pts) and Marquise Mitchell (2G, 4 pts).

The goalkeeping tandem of Jose Cortes and James Martinez have been impressive, allowing just nine goals on 48 shots and a 1.29 GAA.

SANTIAGO CANYON (2-4-1) – It's been a rough start to 2021 for the Hawks, but they have found some positive mojo with a pair of wins against Southwestern (2-0) and San Diego City (5-0) before heading into OEC play.

Freshmen Luis Sanchez-Diaz and Andrew Resendiz have been fantastic first-year performers for the Hawks this season. Sanchez-Diaz leads the team with four goals and two assists (10 points), while Resendiz has found the back of the net three times. Look for them to carry the bulk of the offensive load for SCC this season.

In goal, Lucas Clarida has a 1.52 GAA and 23 saves, while allowing just six goals in four matches this year.

Release by Tony Altobelli, OCC SID