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Buena Doesn’t Seem to Be at a Loss Despite Defeat

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Eighty-five minutes and thirteen seconds had passed, and the referee didn’t need to blow his whistle to indicate the girls’ soccer game had ended.

It was apparent on the Buena High sideline and in the tear-filled eyes of the coaches and players. Their disappointmentcouldn’t be hidden.

Many players struggled to stay on their feet as their unbeaten streak was snapped at 37 games in a 3-2 overtime loss to Arcadia in the Mater Dei tournament championship last week. Their winning streak ended at 35 games in a 3-3 tie with Esperanza a day earlier.

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While most of the players couldn’t keep their emotions inside, Lerin Mundell stood tall.

She wouldn’t allow herself tears.

“I dug deep down inside and said I’m not going to give in,” Mundell said. “I said to myself, ‘I’m going to be the person to keep us together and not have us fall apart.’

“I wanted to keep us strong and determined. I still know our team is one of the best out there. The loss should not change the way Buena plays.”

The Bulldogs (5-1-1) lost a battle in the state’s most prestigious tournament but did something few thought could be accomplished.

The best high school soccer teams in the Southland are considered to be in Orange County. However, the Bulldogs helped prove that theory wrong by advancing with Arcadia to the Mater Dei finals.

Targeting the state record of 48 consecutive victories, Buena’s coaches and players could have taken an easy road and entered a tournament where their streak wouldn’t be jeopardized.

“I think it takes a lot of courage to put the record on the line,” Buena forward Ashleigh Garmon said. “Our team was willing to risk the record because we saw the benefits in the long run. I would rather improve as a team than keep the record.”

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The loss may not be all bad.

“The loss to Arcadia took some pressure off us, but we are still going to have the burden of being Buena,” Mundell said. “Our program has always been an excellent program and teams always try a little harder to beat us.”

After Southern Section quarterfinal losses to Walnut in 1998 and Mater Dei in 1999, the Bulldogs learned that playing an easy schedule and in the relatively weak Channel League wasn’t preparing them for the playoffs and began bolstering their schedule.

“In the past we hadn’t prepared ourselves to play tough teams,” Mundell said.

“In watching us play the last five games, we’ve played a lot better than last year.”

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Louisville Coach Jose Perez thought his program was a year away from being one of the region’s best. Despite some serious injuries, the Royals (6-2) have been impressive.

April Millado, considered among the best defenders in the region, is limited to 20 minutes a game as she recovers from a knee injury.

Celeste Hayden, a top forward last year, will miss the entire season with a knee injury and freshman standout Megan Merritt has seen limited time while recovering from a leg injury.

“It’s like a hospital out here,” Perez said. “Everybody comes to practice in tennis shoes because they are all hurt. The other girls have really stepped up. I don’t think anybody plays harder than my girls.”

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The Royals advanced to the final of the South Torrance tournament, where they play Mira Costa on Saturday.

The keys to Louisville’s success have been goalkeeper Kim Morgan and forward Jenny Farenbaugh.

Morgan made three penalty kick saves in pool play against Edison and three more in the quarterfinals against Bishop Montgomery. Farenbaugh has nine goals and seven assists.

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When goalkeeper Katie Thomas chose to sit out her senior year to play in a women’s soccer league and junior Kelly Lavery decided not to play for personal reasons, it appeared Chaminade might struggle against the region’s premier teams.

The Eagles (6-1-2) should not have many doubters as they continue along a school-record 23 game unbeaten streak, breaking the mark of 18 set in 1997.

Chaminade won its fifth consecutive El Segundo tournament on Saturday and owns a 23-game winning streak in the tournament.

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What’s next? The Eagles hope it will be a fifth consecutive Southern Section title. They are 18-0-2 in the last four years of playoffs.

“I told the girls if we win the El Segundo tournament for the fifth year in a row it would be a prelude to winning the [section] championship,” Coach Mike Evans said.

Kim Taylor became Chaminade’s all-time assist leader last week. Taylor has 47 assists surpassing Tami Pivnick (1996), who accumulated 44 assists.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Top 10

Rankings of soccer teams from the region

BOYS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 El Camino Real (West Vly) 7-0 2 3 Chaminade (Mission) 2-0-1 3 5 St. Francis (Mission) 5-1 4 2 Ventura (Channel) 8-1-1 5 9 Royal (Marmonte) 5-1 6 4 Crespi (Mission) 5-1 7 7 La Canada (Rio Hondo) 4-0 8 8 Quartz Hill (Golden) 4-0 9 6 Rio Mesa (Pacific View) 4-3-2 10 10 Thousand Oaks (Marmonte) 2-1-3

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GIRLS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 Buena (Channel) 5-1-1 2 2 Westlake (Marmonte) 2-0-2 3 3 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 7-1-2 4 5 Chaminade (Mission) 6-1-2 5 4 Louisville (Mission) 6-2 6 7 Canyon (Foothill) 7-0-1 7 10 El Camino Real (West Vly) 2-0 8 6 Chatsworth (West Valley) 1-1-1 9 8 Hart (Foothill) 1-2-1 10 NR Valencia (Foothill) 4-0

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