Southern Section

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

Saturday, March 6

Championships

DIVISION I

San Clemente 0, Capistrano Valley 0
Players fell to their knees, coaches clenched their clipboards and, for the second consecutive season, the Southern Section Division I season ended without an outright champion.

Top-seeded San Clemente (17-2-8), ranked No. 1 by the Times, earned its second consecutive co-championship by tying Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, 0-0, Saturday afternoon at Cal-State Fullerton. It was the third time this season the South Coast League rivals have tied - the first two coming in 1-1 regular-season contests.

Both teams traded blows throughout the contest, with Capistrano Valley having most of the chances to deal an offensive dagger.

With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley’s Kim Horn sent a slow-rolling ball toward the San Clemente goal that was cleared, just inches from the goal, by Tritons defender Mari Pflaster (cq). Early in the second half, the Cougars (14-5-7) had a goal called back due to offsides.

Although neither team took solace in the tie, San Clemente junior midfielder McCall Zerboni credited Capistrano Valley for playing its best game of the three she’s seen this season - a sentiment echoed by Cougars junior midfielder Kasey Moore.

“We are champions,” said Moore, who sat out about 10 minutes in the second half with a strained left MCL. “In my heart we are the team that won the game.”
--Elia Powers

DIVISION II

Tesoro 1, Buena 0
Senior forward Becky Steen scored off a corner kick in the 38th minute to give Southern Section Division II Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro the school’s first overall championship in its three-year history.

Four days after knocking off top-seeded Arcadia, 2-1, fourth-seeded Tesoro (21-5-3) defeated second-seeded Ventura Buena, 1-0, in the championship game at Cal-State Fullerton.
--Elia Powers

DIVISION III

Walnut 2, Arroyo Grande 0
After 54 minutes of nerves and offensive misfiring, top-seeded Walnut (28-1-1) finally came through in the Southern Section Division III championship game. Junior forward Christina Carriaga scored a goal from just outside the penalty box in the 55th minute to break a scoreless tie with Arroyo Grande. Less than three minutes later, junior midfielder Janessa Currier added another goal.

A season after sharing the title with Costa Mesa, the Mustangs now claim sole possession of trophy. They also are the only team to defeat Arroyo Grande (25-5) this season. The Eagles had to forfeit four regular-season games due to an ineligible player.
--Elia Powers

DIVISION IV

Serrano 2, Santa Ynez 2
Junior defender Brittany Heringer scored on 30-yard free kick in the 70th minute as Santa Ynez overcame a 2-0 first-half deficit to rally for the tie in the Division IV final at La Mirada.

Junior forward Sade Tate scored on a 15th-minute penalty kick and assisted on sophomore forward Amber Spencer’s 21st-minute goal for Serrano (19-7-3). The Pirates (21-4-2) cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 57th minute when junior midfielder Leann Sgobba put in a rebound after Diamondback junior goalkeeper Dougie McCaulley stopped her penalty kick.

Each team was making its first appearance in a girls’ soccer section final.
--Steven Herbert

DIVISION V

Los Angeles Notre Dame Academy 0, Westlake Village Oaks Christian 0
Senior goalkeeper Emily Ottiniano made 11 saves and her Oaks Christian sophomore counterpart Julia Humphries made three for her 19th shutout of the season in the Division V final at La Mirada.

An apparent goal in the 32nd minute by Notre Dame Academy senior midfielder/forward Kendall Doherty of Notre Dame Academy(15-6-2) was nullified because of an off-side call.

Oaks Christian (19-2-6) led in shots, 11-7. The tie gave the Lions a co-championship for the second consecutive season.

Notre Dame Academy (15-6-2) was playing in its first Southern Section girls’ soccer final. The Regals were the third-place team in the Sunshine League, and needed to win a wild card-round game to advance in the playoffs.
--Steven Herbert

DIVISION VI

L.A. Windward 1, Ontario Christian 1
Renee Solis of Ontario Christian recovered after giving up a goal late in the first half to record five second-half saves and help the Lady Knights secure the Division VI co-championship - its first title - with the second-seeded Wildcats.

Junior forward Julia Cummings gave Windward (19-3-3) a 1-0 lead with three minutes left in the first half. She drilled a shot from the corner of the box that angled into the corner out of the reach of a diving Solis.

Sophomore midfielder Lis Vander Eyk tied the score when she knocked in a perfectly placed corner kick 40 seconds into the second half for Ontario Christian (13-9-4), which won its fourth title.
--Steven Herbert

Wednesday, March 3

Semifinals

DIVISION V

Oaks Christian 3, Marymount 2 (OT)
Nicole Sweetman scored two goals, including the game-winner in the fifth minute of overtime, for second-seeded Oaks Christian (19-2-5), which advanced to the finals for the second straight season. Sweetman’s game-winner came on a header off a cross from Alysha Hoven. Sweetman also scored the game’s first goal off a throw-in from Hoven in the 17th minute. Hoven, a senior who has signed with Pennsylvania, scored her 33rd goal of the season and 129th of her career on a 40-yard direct free kick to give the Lions a 2-1 lead in the 55th minute. It was Hoven’s 19th goal this season on a direct free kick.

Junior Monica Cody scored in the 45th minute for host Marymount (18-4-1) off a centering pass from Lauren Salvaryn to tie the game, 1-1. Daryn Towle, one of four starting freshmen for the fifth-seeded Sailors, scored on a rebound in the 65th minute to tie the game, 2-2. Junior goalie Taylor Carr of Marymount made 19 saves, including eight in overtime, and finished the season with 16 shutouts.

The Lions defeated Marymount, 2-0, in the semifinals last year and tied Oak Park in the finals to finish as Section co-champions. Oaks Christian, which has outscored its four playoff opponents, 16-2, will face unseeded Notre Dame Academy (15-6-1) in the championship game Saturday at 7 p.m. at La Mirada High.
--Steve Galluzzo

Tuesday, March 2

Semifinals

DIVISION I

Capistrano Valley 3, Esperanza 0
Jessica Suszek, Kasey Moore and Jessica Lander each scored to lead Capistrano Valley (14-5-6), which will face league rival and top-seeded San Clemente (17-2-7) in the championship game on Saturday.

San Clemente 2, Santa Margarita 0
San Clemente is one step closer to a share of its third consecutive Southern Section Division I title after defeating Santa Margarita, 2-0, in a sectional semifinal game at Santa Margarita Tuesday afternoon.

The Tritons (17-2-7), ranked No. 1 by the Times, will face South Coast League rival Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (14-5-6) Saturday at either Cal-State Fullerton or La Mirada High School. The two teams faced off in the finals two years ago, with San Clemente winning, 2-1.

After a scoreless first half, senior midfielder Makenzie Beahm (cq) scored the first goal in the 62nd minute. She dribbled left and, with her non-dominant left foot, drilled a 20-yard shot into the back of the net. Santa Margarita, ranked fifth by the Times, had numerous opportunities inside the Tritons’ box late in the game, but senior midfielder Kiley Jones’ (cq) empty-net goal in the final minute quelled any chance of a comeback..

“This is some of the best competition we’ve had all season,” San Clemente Coach Stacey Finnerty (cq) said. “To win, 2-0, on their field was amazing.”
--Elia Powers

DIVISION II

Tesoro 2, Arcadia 1
Becky Steen clinched the victory over top-seeded Arcadia with a goal in the 65th minute for Tesoro. Courtney Lewis scored off an assist from Kaitlyn Foley in the 13th minute to give fourth-seeded Tesoro a 1-0 lead. Caitlin Holmes made 12 saves for Titans (25-3). Christy Hickman had three saves for top-seeded Arcadia (24-2-2).

Buena 3, Brea Olinda 1

DIVISION III

Arroyo Grande 2, Sunny Hills 1 (OT)
Carla Arbulu scored in the 12th minute off an assist from Allie Edgerton and scored the game-winning goal in the eighth minute of overtime off an assist by Erica Leger for host Arroyo Grande (23-4-0). Keeper Erika Blecha made three saves for the Eagles, who reach the finals for the first time. Tanya Taylor had the only goal for No. 8-ranked, No. 2-seeded Sunny Hills (29-3-0).

Walnut 2, Bonita 0
Janessa Courrier scored both goals, with assists from Karri Courrier and Christina Carriaga, and Tiffany Chadha made three saves for her 19th shutout to lead host Walnut (27-1-1). Bonita is 19-4-5.

DIVISION IV

Serrano 2, Pasadena Poly 1
Jackie Tomblin had a goal and Sade Tate scored the game-winner goal in the 71st minute of an assist by Amber Spencer to lead visiting Serrano (19-7-2) past No. 4-seeded Pasadena Poly (21-5). Serrano was up 1-0 at half.

Santa Ynez 2, Hemet 1

DIVISION V

Notre Dame Academy 1, Cerritos Valley Christian 0
Katie King scored the game-winning goal in the 61st minute off an assist by Miranda Moriarty to lead visiting Notre Dame Academy (15-6-1) past Cerritos Valley Christian.

Oaks Christian at Marymount, postponed to Wednesday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION VI

Windward 1, Lancaster Desert Christian 1 (Windward wins on penalty kicks, 8-7)
Katie Burnett scored the game tying goal in the 70th minute and Chloe Koeffler scored the game-winning penalty kick for visiting No. 2-seeded Windward (19-3-2).

Ontario Christian 3, Bishop 2 (OT)