WOODLAND HILLS — You can't make this stuff up.

Well, you can, but it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

Jason Leopoldo started the Premier Development League soccer season with the Ventura County Fusion.

He was there when the Fusion's season ended, too — not physically, but for all intents and purposes.

Leopoldo, released by the Fusion in midseason for missing a game, had a hand in all three goals Thursday night for the San Fernando Valley Quakes — his new team, and his old one — as the Quakes beat the Fusion 3-2 at L.A. Pierce College.

Leopoldo scored the game's first goal — on a brilliant shot in the 45th minute. He drew a foul that led to a penalty kick by Diego Barrera (also a former Fusion player) in the 52nd minute. And he assisted on Barrera's second goal four minutes later.

That gave the Quakes a 3-0 lead, enough to hold on when Fusion — down a man for the final 50 minutes because of a red card — made a furious comeback attempt. The result eliminated the Fusion (7-5-3) from playoff contention with a game remaining, gave San Fernando Valley (7-2-6) control of its own playoff fate in its regular-season finale — Sunday against Fresno at Calabasas High — and put Leopoldo in position to exercise some big-time bragging rights.

"He came through big for us," said Barrera, who played — sparingly — for Ventura County last season. "That first goal was huge."

But the former Thousand Oaks High standout declined to exercise them.

Given the parting of Leopoldo and the Fusion was not quite amicable — how can it be, when a player is released in midseason by voice mail, and jumps to the team's nearest rival? — he could have gloated or teed off or found any number of ways to twist the knife he wielded against his former team.

He didn't, though.

Asked if there was any extra motivation in facing his old team, Leopoldo declined the invitation to get the last word in this particular dispute.

"Yes and no," he said. "It happened. It's behind me. There's nothing I can do. They can do nothing. It was just a good game out there. Luckily, I got a goal and an assist and I was able to play well."

Actually, luck was probably the least of it.

No one ever doubted Leopoldo's talents when he was with the Fusion — he had a memorable performance when the team played English Premier League side Everton a year ago — and those skills didn't change just because he put on a different uniform.

And so, when Leopoldo dribbled down the center of the field with space and time late in the first half, what happened next should not have been a surprise.

"I had Diego to my left," he said. "I had (Ryan) Shaw on my other side, and to be honest I saw the whole defense going backwards to block the passes, so I just cut it while the defense was sprinting by me, so nobody could really stop as quick as I could, and I just got an opening and hit it."

He hit it hard and low and just inside the goalpost to keeper Logan Frank's left. A diving Frank got a piece of the ball, but not enough to keep it from hopping into the net.

The Fusion will no doubt grouse about the second Quakes goal, coming as it did on a penalty that was awarded after Leopoldo was fouled in the box, but did not go down. Instead, he chased the ball down, turned, stopped and spread his arms. This is the universal symbol for "Ref, what was that?" Normally, it is greeted with a dismissive wave, at best. This time, it drew a whistle; the penalty kick was awarded and Barrera converted.

Leopoldo thought it was a sensible result. The Fusion, naturally, will disagree — as if any team has ever done otherwise when on the wrong side of a PK call.

"It was right in front of the ref," said Leopoldo. "He saw it and he heard it. I didn't fall, but it hindered the play. It could be controversial because I didn't fall, but I don't know. If I was on their team" — and gee, that could easily have been the case, couldn't it? — "and that thing happened, they'd want the PK."

As for stopping, to Leopoldo, it was the logical action.

"He brought his whistle to his mouth, so I knew he knew it was a foul. If I was going to shoot it and miss it, he was going to call advantage, so I wouldn't have gotten the PK. I took a chance, and it worked."

So, in the end, did Leopoldo's discretion. He didn't gloat. He didn't have to. His play did the talking.

To Quakes coach Juan Florez, more than happy to take in Leopoldo when he became available, it was something of a familiar story.

"Every time there is a story like that, and there's a player with some kind of animosity with another team, they happen to make a difference," said Florez. "Let's put it this way: I wasn't surprised."

Leopoldo may not have been, either. But to his credit, he wasn't going to say so.

— Contact Star columnist David Lassen at dlassen@Venturacountystar.com.