Poway, San Dieguito Tie for Championship

When the final whistle blew ending the second and final 15-minute sudden-death overtime period of a soccer game for the girls’ Division I Section championship, the Poway Titans cheered frantically.

The San Dieguito Mustangs hung their heads.

The game had ended in a 0-0 tie.

So guess which team held a 22-1-1 record and had beaten the other in three games during the season?

Guess which team had never scored off the other in those three games?

Both schools become co-champions, but it’s easy to see why San Dieguito was not happy with the outcome.

“We just felt like we wanted to win,” San Dieguito Coach David Emmerson said. “Poway still hasn’t scored on us in four games.”

Yet Poway had the best chances of winning in regulation.

In the 21st minute, Poway’s Carrie Reden hit the crossbar with a shot from 18 yards out.

Only four minutes later, Poway freshman midfielder Jenny Briscoe headed a corner kick from Pattie Southwood and appeared to have beaten San Dieguito goalie Maura Griffin, but as the ball made its way to the goal line, San Dieguito defender Tanya DiFrancesco booted it up field. End of threat.

In the overtime periods, however, the momentum shifted to San Dieguito. Nine minutes into extra time, Poway goalie Kari Marx had to dive to make a save on a 35-yard shot from Maggie Merritt.

One minute later, San Dieguito’s Allison Kemp hit a shot that appeared to be heading into the upper-right corner, but again Marx got to it just in time.