St. Bonaventure, Maranatha Zero In on Title

Ties aren’t always bad.

St. Bonaventure High proved that to be true on Saturday night with a 0-0 deadlock against Maranatha in the Southern Section Division IV girls’ soccer championship at Gahr High.

There were tears on the Maranatha sideline afterward, but only smiles from St. Bonaventure, which won its first title, even if it was a co-championship.

Neither team allowed a goal in the playoffs and neither would have a chance to score in overtime--there are no overtimes or shootouts in Southern Section soccer playoffs.

The Seraphs didn’t seem to mind.

“The girls deserve this,” said St. Bonaventure Coach Rod Mendoza, who turned the program around in three years. “We worked hard to get here. Everyone here in this stadium is at a loss for words.”

The second-seeded Seraphs (24-2-2) entered with ailments and absentees.

Midfielder Chrissy Pike played all five playoff games with her jaw wired shut, the result of being elbowed in the face during a regular-season game against La Reina.

Striker Erin Croasmun, the Seraphs’ top scorer, played with a dislocated finger on her right hand.

Midfielder Tyler Bruno wasn’t even on hand because she attended a debutante dance instead.

St. Bonaventure still outshot Maranatha in the first half, 8-3.

The top-seeded Minutemen (19-2-4), who finished the season with a 16-game unbeaten streak, had the better second half and nearly scored in the 62nd minute.

With St. Bonaventure goalkeeper Nicole Ridout out of position five yards in front of the goal, Katie Quatro, who scored 32 goals for Maranatha, headed the ball toward the vacated net.

But Caren Jordan stepped in front of the shot and cleared the ball for the Seraphs.

“It was kind of slow motion,” Jordan said. “I knew I had to get to it. I was just doing my job with Nicki out of the net.”