SUNSET LEAGUE GIRLS’ SOCCER : Ocean View Gets a Break to Win

Edison appeared to be the better team, but Ocean View walked away from an all-important Sunset League girls’ soccer game Tuesday looking like league champions.

Thanks to an opportunistic goal by Christie Engesser, Ocean View upset visiting Edison, 1-0, to move within a game of the Sunset League title.

Edison--ranked third in the county--entered the game tied with Ocean View atop the league standings at 8-1-1. Because of the way Edison dominated the Seahawks from the opening minute to the final whistle Tuesday, it seemed the Chargers would leave Ocean View with the title almost secure.

But for 40 minutes, Edison was unable to get a shot past Seahawk goalkeeper Lynn Brown, who made 13 saves. Engesser scored midway through the first half following an Edison defensive mistake.

The end result: Ocean View leads the league at 9-1-1. The Seahawks play host to second-place Marina in their season finale Thursday. Because Marina is 9-2, the winner of Thursday’s game will be the league champion.

“We had good luck today,” said Ocean View Coach Ron Uehle, whose team (18-4-2) is ranked seventh in the county. “I thought we took advantage of their mistakes.

“This puts us in the driver’s seat.”

Engesser’s goal came on a strange play. Edison goalkeeper Stephanie Hinkey left the crease to stop a ball far to her left before it crossed the end line. She proceeded to boot the ball out of the goal box, apparently thinking her teammates would cover her. They didn’t, Engesser came up with the ball and kicked it into the open net before Hinkey got back in the goal.

Edison (17-5-1) then kept the ball in Ocean View’s end almost the entire second half but came up empty.

“It’s probably the most frustrating game ever,” Edison Coach Kerry McGrath said. “We had too many chances to lose.”

In another league game:

Marina 3, Westminster 0--Amy Peterson and Sarah Heilman scored in the first half and Jessica Lyon scored in the second half for host Marina (14-4-3, 9-2).