GIRLS’ SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS : Marina Coach Says the Vikings Are Well Prepared to Meet Peninsula

Marina girls’ soccer Coach Bobby Bruch has many reasons to be confident that his team is ready for its Southern Section Division I title game against Palos Verdes Peninsula tonight at Cerritos Gahr High School.

--The Vikings have been here before, tying Claremont for the title last season.

--They haven’t shown signs of wilting under the pressure of their 38-game unbeaten string.

--Bruch is using mental-preparation techniques that helped his college coach, Cliff McCrath of Seattle Pacific, win NCAA Division II championships with Bruch in 1985 and 1986.

But perhaps the best reason is in the way the top-seeded Vikings (27-0-1) are playing.

“You want to get hot right now and I think we are,” Bruch said.

Marina is led by junior forward Cassie Campbell, the Sunset League offensive player of the year, who has 28 goals and 12 assists. But she isn’t the only weapon. Sophomore Jenny Benson has 13 goals and 15 assists and Rhiannon Tanaka, a USC-bound senior, has seven goals and 12 assists.

Third-seeded Peninsula (26-1-3) counters with UCLA-bound Traci Arkenberg, who has 56 goals and 14 assists this season. Arkenberg scored both goals in Peninsula’s 2-0 semifinal victory over Capistrano Valley. Marina handed Peninsula its only loss of the season, 3-1, in December.

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In the Division II title game at 2 p.m. Saturday, unseeded Esperanza (18-5-4) plays top-seeded Torrance Bishop Montgomery (20-2-2).

The Aztecs have been plagued by injury since pre-season. Two players who were expected to start in the midfield--senior Dawn Chastain and junior Kerry Murray--suffered season-ending knee injuries playing in club games.

Before the injuries, Esperanza Coach Phyllis Scarborough had expected the Aztecs to challenge for a section title.

“After losing our midfield, I didn’t give us a prayer,” she said.

But younger players filled in and the Aztecs were 6-0-1 in the Empire League until another injury wave resulted in a 0-2-1 finish. They wound up second in the league behind Los Alamitos.

Now the Aztecs seem to be strong again, by their standards. Sophomore forward Tina Brescini is recovering from the flu, which slowed her in the semifinals Tuesday. She has scored four goals in the playoffs.

The defense, anchored by senior sweeper Joy Lindsay, and senior goalkeeper Suzanne Benet, has been strong throughout.

Bishop Montgomery has a 17-game unbeaten streak, which started when it got its full team together after the girls’ volleyball playoffs and college entrance exams.

Sophomore forward Michelle Kallas has 23 goals and 11 assists and senior midfielder Rachel Moseley has 13 goals and nine assists.