Hart Earns Share of Title When Its Game Ends in Tie

Who wins when nobody wants to be a loser?

Both sides claimed victory in a 1-1 tie between Hart High and Irvine Woodbridge in the Southern Section Division II girls’ soccer championship Saturday at La Mirada High.

Under Southern Section rules, there was no overtime and the teams were named co-champions, although Hart had reason to be somewhat disappointed.

The Indians had more scoring opportunities and took a 1-0 lead in the 65th minute on a redirected goal by Mandy Mansfield.

But in the 74th minute, Katie Schick scored from 20 yards for Woodbridge.

Both teams celebrated. Both teams cried. Both teams will have to get used to sharing.

“Hey, I’ll take it,” Coach William Bell of Woodbridge said. “I bet they’ll take it, too.”

Sort of.

“We had this thing in our heads that we’d win the game and run onto the field and celebrate it,” Coach Oliver Germond of Hart said.

“That’s tough to do when you tie, 1-1.

“But we set a goal at the beginning of the season and we accomplished it. That’s all it comes down to.”

One final view on who won, as presented by midfielder Kristine Marbach to her Hart teammates as they broke from their last post-game huddle of the season: “We scored the first goal, ladies. That’s really who won.”

Unseeded Hart (21-5-4) looked like it would score first, reeling off eight first-half shots, several from close range, against goalkeeper Sandra Martinez.

“She saved our bacon out there,” Bell said.

Hart finally got one past Martinez, who made 11 saves, on a play that involved three players.

Rebecca Gould lined up for a corner kick and instead tapped the ball to nearby Erin Misaki, who tapped it back to Gould.

From 25 yards, Gould lofted the ball toward the net, where Mansfield redirected it from three yards for her 21st goal.

Third-seeded Woodbridge (18-2-8), accustomed to plenty of tie games throughout the season, earned another one less than nine minutes later, and a share of its first soccer championship.

Goalkeeper Cassondra Kaeding of Hart, who made six saves, batted away a corner kick, but Schick pounced on the rebound and scored from 20 yards.

Kaeding got a hand on Schick’s shot, but the ball trickled over the goal line.

“One unlucky break,” Misaki said.

Hart ended a losing trend that dates two seasons. The Indians lost in the 1997 Division I championship game and in the semifinals last year.

“I feel frustrated to share a co-championship with [Woodbridge], but we’re happy to have a championship,” Misaki said.