Torrance Wins Title But Misses Its Goal : Soccer: Tartars defend Southern Section 3-A Division championship with 3-2 victory over Arcadia. But hopes to break record for fewest goals allowed in a season are dashed.

Arcadia High did a season’s worth of scoring against defending champion Torrance High, but it was not enough to beat the Tartars, who won the Southern Section 3-A Division girls’ soccer championship for the second consecutive year, 3-2.

Torrance, who allowed only two goals all season prior to Saturday’s game at Gahr High, trailed, 2-1, with only 13 minutes remaining. But the Tartars (31-0) rallied and scored the game-winning goal on a free kick by senior Jessica Reifer with three minutes remaining.

“I just wasn’t going to let us lose my last game and I knew a lot of other seniors felt the same way,” Reifer said. “This was a great game to watch, especially when you win.”

Both schools entered the championship game with unblemished records and Torrance Coach John Jackson expected a low-scoring game. The Tartars, who set a section record with 17 consecutive shutouts, were able to tie another record for fewest goals allowed in a season. La Serna of Whittier allowed four in 1989.

“We would rather win than set the record, but it would have been nice to break it,” Jackson said. “I expected more of a defensive game myself, I was really surprised to see the score get that high.”

Arcadia was also unbeaten entering yesterday’s game and the Lady Apaches had allowed only eight goals in 26 games.

After a scoreless first half, Torrance took the lead on a corner kick when Arcadia’s Kristi Hawley accidentally knocked the ball into her own goal two minutes into the second half. Torrance’s Gwen Nakashima was closest to the ball and was credited with the goal.

Arcadia’s Michele Kennedy than took over by scoring two goals less than five minutes apart.

The first goal, Kennedy’s 48th of the season, was set up on a free kick after Kennedy was pushed by Torrance’s Kim Blankinship. After kicking off, Kennedy headed a pass from a teammate past Tartar goalie Jennifer Halladay.

Kennedy scored again with 13 minutes left on a breakaway shot to put Torrance behind in a game for the first time since early December.

The Tartars tied the score 28 seconds later on a head shot by Jennifer Yokoyama.

Torrance’s game-winning goal came on the free kick by Reifer that sailed over the head of goalkeeper Cathy Zoccoli with three minutes remaining.

“I wanted to score a goal, I thought I’d just float it up there, I figured the wind was with me,” Reifer said. “(Zoccoli’s) a great goalie, I’m just glad it made it.”

Torrance is 57-1-1 the past two years. The last time it lost was in December 1990, a 1-0 defeat to El Dorado.