Santa Margarita Shares Title With South Torrance

Santa Margarita won its third Southern Section title in three days, as the girls’ soccer team played top-seeded South Torrance to a 0-0 tie, earning a Division II co-championship Saturday at Gahr High School.

The girls’ championship, which followed boys’ soccer and basketball championships, was the least likely of the three, but the unseeded Eagles went home with their second consecutive title.

The Sea View League champion Eagles (15-5-5) returned only one starter this season and at the beginning of the season, Coach Chuck Morales never thought he would see his team in the final.

“No way,” Morales said Saturday. “We needed time to regroup this year. We played some really good teams in the playoffs. It’s amazing.”

Senior goalkeeper Erin Regan, who saw little action last season playing behind all-county goalkeeper Riki-Ann Serins, was a little underwhelmed with the co-championship, as were the fans who booed when the announcement was made.

“It’s a little bit of a letdown,” Regan said. “It’s supposed to be screaming and holding up the plaque. It’s supposed to be a celebration and it didn’t seem like it. I’d rather lose in overtime, killing ourselves.”

Morales, though, was happy with his young team’s effort.

“[South Torrance] was the No. 1 team and now I guess we’re both No. 1,” said Morales, whose 23-player roster included 15 sophomores and freshmen. “But, deflecting next year’s pressure of being No. 1 will be tough.”

After an evenly played first half, the Eagles controlled most of the second, outshooting South Torrance (27-0-5), 10-5, but Spartan goalkeeper Emily Koch was up to the task, making two crucial saves. It was Koch’s 30th shutout in 32 games, 20 consecutive.

On a free kick from 20 yards by freshman midfielder Jenny Anderson, Koch jumped and tipped the ball over the crossbar. Ten minutes later freshman midfielder Katie Frattone got open and went one on one with Koch, slamming a shot to her right. Koch dived and tipped the ball away with her fingertips, bouncing it off the post.

Not to be outdone, Regan, who spent much of the second half watching her team play on the other end, got to show her stuff with 10 minutes left.

Sophomore midfielder Kelsey Durkin got the ball 15 yards in front of the goal and drilled a shot to the right corner. Regan left her feet and grabbed the ball out of the air, preserving her 13th shutout of the season.