It's no coincidence that Golden Valley's Julio Cruz has a penchant for scoring during key moments of big games.

Driven by an intense desire to win and armed with a powerful left foot, the junior forward was the very definition of "clutch" this past season.

"I just try to win," Cruz said. "I don't like losing. It's horrible. To me it's the worst thing you can do if you're playing a sport."

Powered by Cruz's 26 goals and 12 assists, the Bulldogs, who were ranked nationally by ESPN Rise for much of the season, reached the Central Section Division III championship game for a third straight year.

Because of his stellar effort in leading the Bulldogs to a 26-2-2 record and Southeast Yosemite League championship, Cruz is The Californian's All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

"He was a major part of our success," Golden Valley coach Troy Lynch said. "He was our go-to guy up front. He worked well off the ball and finished a lot of goals for us. He led by example. He was one of the top players in the valley."

Despite suffering a left quad injury in late January that left him struggling physically, Cruz continued to shine during the playoffs.

He scored in extra time to help lift Golden Valley past Hanford 2-1 in the quarterfinals and then six days later banged in the game-winning goal against Mira Monte in the semifinals.

"It really brought me down," Cruz said of the injury which occurred during a free kick that resulted in a goal against BHS. "I couldn't run as fast. I couldn't cut. I couldn't do anything. I was basically just a passer, a point-man because I couldn't shoot. It cut off some goals that I could have scored"

The injury forced him to the trainer's table for the final 40 minutes, including two overtimes, as Golden Valley lost a scoreless championship game to Dinuba in a penalty kick shootout.

It was a much different ending Cruz's sophomore year, when he scored the only goal of the Bulldogs' section championship victory over Porterville.

"It was a good season," Cruz said. "I wish it was like last season and we would have won valley again but I got hurt and it made the season a little bit rough at the end."

Cruz says he's already working hard in preparation for his senior season.