Agoura Girls Ice Another Soccer Title

There was no way Dave Godwin would be allowed to have his cake and eat it, too.

Win, lose or draw for Agoura High in Saturday’s Southern Section 3-A Division girls’ soccer final. . . .

“We would have shoved it in his face anyway,” senior Amy Ward said.

And so the Agoura coach stood, plastered with pastry after the Chargers’ 2-0 triumph over Anaheim Canyon at Gahr High in Cerritos.

Godwin was caked with cake--his glasses, hair, shirt. . . . “Who put it in my ear?” he queried.

For Godwin, 49, who announced his resignation last month in order to further his educational background, the victory was the symbolic icing on a cake five years in the baking.

The Chargers (26-0), who notched their 41st consecutive win and played their 78th consecutive match without a loss, claimed their fourth title in a row--the first at the 3-A level after three 2-A championships. Godwin’s five-year record is 103-7-9.

“All seriousness aside,” Godwin said tongue in cheek and cake in ear, “the titles are all special in different ways.”

Saturday’s victory, however, was not without complications for top-seeded Agoura, which was outshot for the first time this season, 14-8.

Canyon fired nine shots to Agoura’s three during a scoreless first half in which Agoura goalkeeper Tricia Arledge was under constant pressure.

Canyon (18-2-4) fired four free kicks from close range, three in the first half by junior fullback Jeni Smith and another in the second by junior fullback Kelly Thompson that required a leaping fist save by Arledge just below the crossbar.

“She earned her lunch money today,” Godwin said of Arledge, a senior who recorded her 19th shutout this season. He also praised Anaheim Canyon: “They were a very tough team, well-coached. They played hard. They certainly deserved to be here.”

The Comanches’ effort was all the more impressive considering they played almost the entire match without goalkeeper Keri Erkenbrack, who had yielded just two goals in the past 12 matches.

Erkenbrack, a senior, sustained a concussion 96 seconds into the match after a collision with Agoura senior midfielder Julie Tingle. After lying on the ground for five minutes, Erkenbrack was helped off the field, onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital in an ambulance.

“That’s the second time this season I gave a goalie a concussion,” Tingle said.

Senior Gretchen La’ Frenais, who had not played goalkeeper all season, replaced Erkenbrack. She made five saves before Agoura’s Sunday DiZazzo gave the Chargers the lead with a breakaway goal 12 minutes into the second half.

“They had a really fast defense,” said DiZazzo, who finished the season with 24 goals. “We have a pretty fast offense, but we couldn’t seem to get in front.”

DiZazzo, a sophomore, snaked between two defenders, fielded a pass from forward Vanessa Martin and easily faked La’ Frenais.

“She’s a good athlete,” Canyon Coach John Williams said of La’ Frenais. “She did her best and did a good job, but she’s not the goalie Keri is.

“It was a real good team we played. They didn’t have a lot of weaknesses. We didn’t either until a minute and a half into the game.”

Senior Sandy Convey used a little body English to score Agoura’s second goal 12 minutes later. Tingle lofted a corner kick in front of the net and Convey let the ball carom off her thighs into the net.

“I feel absolutely great,” Godwin said. “I’ve had second thoughts about leaving ever since I’ve announced it. But there’s no way I would have the time to coach.”