The Experience Was All Bad for Buena at Mater Dei Tournament

Trish Butterbaugh was given a dose of reality during the Mater Dei tournament over the weekend.

The coach of defending Southern Section Division II champion Ventura Buena High told The Times last week: “If a team doesn’t know us, they are going to try to play with us and they will be in big trouble.”

Butterbaugh also said her team could beat some Division I college teams and “for sure” Division II and III teams, and that members of Buena’s junior varsity would be starters for other schools’ varsity teams.

But she discovered that, despite having one of the top teams in the section, her Bulldogs had better concentrate on beating Division I high school teams before moving on to the college ranks.

In the tournament’s second round Friday, Esperanza (3-0-3), the county’s fourth-ranked team, ended Buena’s 36-game winning streak by playing the Bulldogs to a 3-3 tie. Buena had hoped to better Torrance’s state record of 48 consecutive victories from 1990-92.

Erin Clewett scored twice for Esperanza and goalkeeper Brandie Baker had 11 saves.

“Buena was a mess after the tie,” said Lloyd Miller, the tournament’s competition chairman. “The whole team was crying. They were all really upset.”

Things got worse for Buena (4-1-1) on Saturday, when the Bulldogs’ hopes of another undefeated season ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to Arcadia in the championship game.

Included in Buena’s 36-game winning streak, which began with the first game last season, were two matches against county teams last season won on penalty kicks--against Woodbridge in the section semifinals and Corona del Mar in the South Torrance tournament. The Bulldogs’ last loss was in the quarterfinals of the 1999 playoffs.

“[Buena] is really good but they aren’t the best team out there,” Aliso Niguel Coach Randy Dodge said. “There are a lot of teams that could beat them and Arcadia did.”

The Apaches (5-0-1), previously ranked fourth in Division I, were the only team to record three victories in the pool-play rounds of the tournament, including a 1-0 victory over Capistrano Valley, then the county’s top-ranked team.

Aliso Niguel, top-ranked this week, second-ranked Mission Viejo and Buena all recorded ties in pool play, but Buena got to play for the title based on goals scored. The Bulldogs defeated Foothill, 5-0, and topped Lakewood Mayfair, 4-0.

Aliso Niguel and Mission Viejo, who played to a 0-0 tie in the third round, declined to play each other again for third place.

Third-ranked Capistrano Valley finished sixth.

TOP OF THE HEAP

For the first time in school history, the Aliso Niguel girls are the No. 1 team in the county. The Wolverines, despite playing without two starters, including high-scoring forward Tessa Baker, have a 5-0-1 record.

Mission Viejo (2-0-2) was the first tough competition the Wolverines faced this season. Their next big game is Dec. 19 against San Clemente. Aliso Niguel then plays for the first time in the 11th Excalibur tournament, Dec. 27-29. The tournament, hosted by Foothill, features 32 of the top teams from Southern California.

ENOUGH ALREADY

After Kennedy’s varsity defeated Santa Fe Springs St. Paul’s B team, 19-0, in pool play at the Norwalk Glenn tournament, Fighting Irish Coach Jose Ponte said he had a good reason for allowing the blowout. He said he told his squad to just keep shooting because they wanted to make sure they would advance out of their pool. Since the Fighting Irish had tied Chino Don Lugo in an earlier game, 1-1, Ponte didn’t want to miss out on the finals based on goal differential.

“I think the girls felt bad, but we had no choice,” Ponte said. “We wanted to advance.”

Kennedy (2-1-1) did advance and will play in the finals Saturday.

LOOKING AHEAD

Eighth-ranked Corona del Mar (7-1), led by Molly O’Meara, will get a chance to validate its top-10 ranking Thursday when it plays at No. 2 Mission Viejo. After falling to Canyon in the Whittier La Serna tournament, the Sea Kings rebounded with a stunning upset of previously third-ranked Santa Margarita.

The Eagles (3-1), whose roster features eight Olympic Development players, including Jenny Anderson, Daniella Bosio and Katie Rivera, can bolster their No. 6 ranking when they host No. 5 Woodbridge today. The Warriors (2-1-1), led by Christene Johnson, Ina Kain and Ashley Swanson, tied Dana Hills in their season opener and lost to Capistrano Valley, 1-0, last week.

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If you have an item or idea for the girls’ soccer report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at: melanie.neff@latimes.com

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GIRLS’ SOCCER TOP 10

Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll

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Pos. School (League) Rec 1. Aliso Niguel (Sea View) 5-0-1 2. Mission Viejo (South Coast) 2-0-2 3. Capistrano Valley (S. Coast) 3-1 4. Esperanza (Sunset) 3-0-3 5. Woodbridge (Sea View) 2-1-1 6. Santa Margarita (Serra) 3-1 7. San Clemente (South Coast) 2-0-2 8. Corona del Mar (P. Coast) 7-1 9. Marina (Sunset) 3-0 10. Sunny Hills (Freeway) 4-0

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