GIRLS’ SOCCER ROUNDUP : Marina Wins 3rd Excalibur Title

With the help of one of its few veteran stars and a rookie goalkeeper, the Marina girls’ soccer team made an improbable return to glory Friday, defeating Glendora St. Lucy’s, 1-0, to win its third consecutive Excalibur tournament championship at Foothill High.

Jenny Benson, one of three returning starters for Marina, scored on a penalty kick in the 15th minute and Sarah Wahl, a freshman goalkeeper, had 15 saves to almost single-handedly keep the Vikings in the game after that.

Marina (6-4-1) won the past three Southern Section Division I championships but lost eight senior starters to graduation and was expected to have to rebuild this season. Marina’s 61-game winning streak was broken in the first game of this season and the Vikings had a 1-4-1 record heading into the Excalibur tournament.

“The turning point was the first game of this tournament. We had some leaders step forward . . . and when they decided to step up it made all the difference in the world,” Coach Jorge Valenzuela said.

One of those leaders was Benson, who was named the most valuable defensive player of the tournament. After Marina’s Michelle Wilson was tripped in front of the goal, Benson stepped up and sent the ensuing penalty kick past St. Lucy’s goalkeeper Danielle Reitnouer to the right corner of the net for the winning goal.

But perhaps even more critical for Marina was the play of Wahl, who said that she was surprised to make the team at the beginning of the season.

“The first practice I came out there and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, they are so good,’ ” Wahl said.

Wahl not only made the team, she earned a starting spot after returning goalkeeper Melissa Ullrich injured her knee earlier this season.

St. Lucy’s (13-2-3) advanced to the final after winning its second round, quarterfinal and semifinal games on penalty kicks.