Woodbridge Is Forced to Share

Who wins when nobody wants to be a loser?

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

As per Southern Section rules, there was no overtime and each team was named co-champion, 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 to tie the score.

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

“Hey, I’ll take it,” Woodbridge Coach William Bell 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,” Hart Coach Oliver Germond said.

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

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 (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.

Hart goalkeeper Cassondra Kaeding (six saves) batted away a corner kick, but Schick pounced on the rebound and scored from 20 yards.