SOUTHERN SECTION SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS : Aztecs Miss Early Chance, Tie Peninsula

If Esperanza midfielder Mike Murphy only knew, he might have made more of his early scoring chance. But how was Murphy to know his team would go the next 78 minutes without scoring or even getting another decent shot on goal against Palos Verdes Peninsula.

But Murphy wasn’t the only player with regrets. Peninsula’s players had many after playing Esperanza to a 0-0 tie in the final of the Southern Section Division I boys’ soccer final Friday in front of about 2,500 at Gahr High.

After the game, several Peninsula players were crying hard as if they had lost the section title instead of gaining a share of it.

“They were more upset because they had more going for them,” Esperanza forward Marc Rodieck said. “They were expecting to come out here and kick our butts. But we showed them what we had.”

Second-seeded Esperanza (25-2-3) actually had the same amount of shots as top-seeded Peninsula--eight--but the Aztecs might have had better scoring opportunities.

And none was better than Murphy’s.

After a header from Brandon Clewitt across the goal, Murphy found himself alone on the left side.

“It’s the same play we always run--we call it Clewitt’s combo,” Murphy said. “I beat the keep, but I didn’t hit it hard enough. I hit it good, but there were too many guys back there.”

Defender Nobu Kurihara was the guy who made the play--kicking Murphy’s shot away after Peninsula goalkeeper Kevin Perrault took himself out of the play.

“I figured we’d have at least two more of those plays, but we never did,” Murphy said.

Peninsula’s defense clamped down after giving up three shots in the first five minutes. Rodieck, who scored a team-leading 29 goals, only had two shots on goal.

Esperanza had not been shut out all season, but Aztec Coach Kino Oaxaca said he wasn’t surprised Peninsula (28-1-4) was the team to do it.

“They have a great team,” Oaxaca said. “But they didn’t score on us either. We knew Rodieck was going to be double-marked and that would make it tough on him.”

But Rodieck broke loose with three minutes left in the game. He got past two Peninsula defenders and only had one more to beat. He dribbled down the left side and got off a hard shot from 10 feet that was easily caught by Perrault.

“I wasn’t tired, but I thought that I wasn’t at full power on that run,” Rodieck said. “If I’d have taken it inside, I had two guys to help. But my chance came at the right time and I can’t take it back.”

While Peninsula’s players wept, Rodieck wasn’t sure how to feel.

“I’m not happy, but I feel like we’re still champs,” he said. “I had an awesome season, better than I expected.”

Murphy said he would have liked to keep playing.

“We need an overtime or something,” he said. “You feel kind of cheated with a tie.

Murphy said he understands how Peninsula feels.

“They were the No. 1 team and they expected to win,” he said. “When they didn’t, it just killed them.”

Oaxaca wasn’t joyous, but he wasn’t weeping either. After all, Esperanza had just collected its third section title in boys’ soccer.

“I’m drained, I guess,” Oaxaca said. “We’re still CIF champs. Ten years from now, who’s going to know it was a tie?”

Peninsula might.