Santa Margarita Gains Tie With Woodbridge

Third-ranked Woodbridge outplayed fourth-ranked Santa Margarita for most of their Sea View League girls’ soccer game Thursday at Alton Park in Irvine, but the Warriors could only manage a 1-1 tie.

Santa Margarita, the two-time defending Southern Section Division II champion, also salvaged a 1-1 tie in the teams’ first league meeting.

Thursday, Santa Margarita freshman Katie Rivera scored the equalizer in the 59th minute on a remarkable play.

Rivera, Santa Margarita’s leading scorer, dribbled through two defenders to the top left portion of the penalty area, then fired a left-footed shot that curled inside the top-left corner of the goal just beyond the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jenelle Godges.

“It was like a hole-in-one,” Woodbridge Coach William Bell said. “I think they only took two shots in the second half. But that just goes to show you, it only takes one lapse.”

But it wasn’t really a lapse by the Woodbridge defense.

“She’s an unbelievable player,” Santa Margarita Coach Chuck Morales said of Rivera. “Getting a tie here is like a win for us.”

But the tie did drop the Eagles out of first place. El Toro (12 points) moved ahead with a victory over Corona del Mar. Santa Margarita (9-3-6, 3-1-2) is in second with 11 points and Woodbridge (11-2-5, 2-0-4) is in third with 10.

Woodbridge took a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute when Sierra Cristiano scored off a rebound of a shot by Ina Kain. Although Woodbridge kept up the pressure and outshot Santa Margarita, 20-11, the Warriors couldn’t cash in on several great scoring chances.

Cristiano hit the right goal post in the final minute of the first half, and twice in the final 15 minutes.

In another Sea View League game:

El Toro 1, Corona del Mar 0--Gina Hintz scored in the 46th minute with an assist from Heather Jacobs. Jaclyn Maag made five saves for her sixth shutout for El Toro (9-6-2, 4-2).