Marina Finishes Another Near-Perfect Year : Division I girls: Vikings beat Claremont, 2-0, to win third consecutive title and extend unbeaten streak to 61.

The Marina girls’ soccer team won its third consecutive Division I Southern Section title with a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Claremont at Gahr High School Friday night.

The top-seeded Vikings (21-0-1) became the first team since Mission Viejo in 1988 to win three consecutive major division titles and finished the season like they began it--with only 10 players on the field after Marina Coach Bobby Bruch pulled the 11th with three minutes left in the game.

“We began the season with only 10 players against El Modena,” Bruch said. “It was to motivate them and now we have come full circle, and I totally believe in that.”

At the end of the game, Bruch proudly displayed jersey No. 61, symbolizing the Vikings’ unbeaten streak.

“We enjoy it (the streak),” Bruch said. “We take pride in this. This is a very special three-year run.”

After a scoreless first half, senior Kristen Palmer put in the winning goal for Marina with 12 minutes left. Senior sweeper Marcy Crouch sailed a perfect corner kick directly in front of the goal and Palmer headed it into the net.

“Kristen has been coming through all season,” Bruch said. “She really came through tonight.”

Marina clinched the victory seven minutes later when sophomore forward Megan Orach dribbled down the left sideline and around defenders to the front of the net, where she nailed a shot past Claremont goalkeeper Katherine Judkins.

“I’d play this team against anybody in the country,” said Bruch, of the Vikings who are ranked fifth in a national coaches poll. “We accomplished everything we wanted this season in every sense of the word.”

Claremont (28-2-2), which tied Marina for the title in 1993, was rarely around Marina’s goal and the few times it threatened, Marina goalkeeper Jennifer Simmons got in the way.

Marina controlled the flow in the first half and had three strong chances to break through.

First Crouch’s corner kick was arching toward the goal but a Claremont defender headed it out. Then Orach got loose and fired a point-blank shot at Judkins who dove to make the save. Later Jenny Benson sent a long crossing pass in front of the goal and Cassie Campbell’s header was knocked over the crossbar by Judkins.

Claremont, which had a 27-game winning streak stopped, created several opportunities with its quick counterattack, but never threatened seriously.