BOYS’ SOCCER ROUNDUP : Santa Margarita Shuts Out Saddleback to Win Orange Title

Santa Margarita saved its best for last, logging a 3-0 victory over Saddleback on Friday night in the final of the Orange Tournament at Chapman University.

“The last couple of games we’ve lacked intensity,” Eagle Coach Curt Bauer said. “The finals brought out the best in us.”

The best the Eagles (13-0-1) had to offer came onthree assists from Brian Piesner, the diminutive forward who wreaked havoc on the Roadrunners (6-3-3).

Piesner found midfielder Matt Moses in front of the box at the 21-minute mark to give the top-ranked Eagles a 1-0 lead. He then connected with Bryce Popko 16 minutes later to give his team a 2-0 halftime lead.

The Eagles slammed the door on the seventh-ranked Roadrunners three minutes into the second half as Piesner hit Shawn Saunders, who scored his sixth goal of the season.

“They (Piesner and midfielder Seth George) were basically the difference . . . they couldn’t stop them,” Bauer said.

Saddleback took three late shots, but goalkeeper Ben Froehlich preserved the shutout for the Eagles, who gave up one goal the entire tournament.