Barons Lose This Royal Battle : Div. I boys’ soccer: Fountain Valley falls to Royal, 5-4, as teams set section record for scoring in a final.

CERRITOS — It was a goalkeeper’s nightmare, a scorer’s delight. Fountain Valley and Simi Valley Royal combined for an incredible nine goals Friday night on a slippery field at Gahr High School, breaking the Southern Section record for goals in a title game by two.

But although nine goals and 34 shots on goal were tabulated, it was a save by Royal keeper Ty Russell that was the difference in Royal’s 5-4 victory over Fountain Valley in the Division I final in front of about 1,000 entertained soccer fans.

Call it keeper’s revenge.

“I’ve never been scored on that much in my entire life,” Russell said.

Russell acknowledged he would have given up one more goal had he not viewed a videotape of Fountain Valley’s Joey Bove penalty kick against Simi Valley in the quarterfinals.

“I felt kind of bad about it, but I saw that tape and I knew he was going to kick it (to the right),” said Russell, who dived and deflected Bove’s shot that was about a foot inside the right post.

Bove’s kick, which was awarded when Keith Hedenberg was taken down inside the Royal box, would have tied the score, 4-4, with about 20 minutes left. Fountain Valley got a couple of rebound shots off, but both were blocked by Royal defenders.

Fountain Valley Coach Kevin Smith said he sensed Russell knew something.

“The keeper might have left a little early, but so what?” he said. “You can’t second guess what (Bove) did. It’s been working for him all year.”

But Russell’s save was the only defensive highlight. Royal led at halftime, 2-1, on goals by Tim Pederson and Chris Fernandez, who scored on a 45-yard free kick that arched over Fountain Valley keeper Scott Hainlen’s hands. Top-seeded Fountain Valley (22-4) scored on Joey Vasquez’s rebound of his header.

But the fun was just beginning. Royal’s Jon Makiri scored in the seventh minute of the second half to make it 3-1, but Fountain Valley tied it within four minutes on unassisted goals by Vasquez (his 19th of the season) and Nick Tolman, who appeared to dribble through Royal’s entire defense before scoring.

But second-seeded Royal (22-5-2) took control 19 minutes into the second half when Fountain Valley’s Jeremy Meltebarger was forced to block a wide-open shot with his hand. The yellow card was Meltebarger’s second and it forced the Barons to play a man short.

Royal made it 5-3 a minute after Russell’s big save on a goal by Jesse Garner. The Barons closed to 5-4 with 17 minutes left on Hedenberg’s goal, but playing a man short, they were unable to get anything past Russell.

“It was a great game,” Vasquez said with tears streaming down his red face. “That’s a championship game right there. We gave it our all but we let it get away. I’ve never been in a game like this. There was talent all over the field.”

So much talent that Fountain Valley gave up nearly half as many goals as it had all season.

“I’m disappointed,” said Baron defender Craig Ritter, whose team had allowed 11 goals entering the game. “I can’t believe it. We kind of fell apart on defense.”

Said Russell: “A lot of people think soccer’s boring. But I don’t know how they can say that after this game.”