Aztecs Lose Title Match By a Head, 1-0

Temecula Valley’s Nick Bishop won the decisive battle in the air against Esperanza goalkeeper Bret Beeding, heading in the goal that gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 victory in the Southern Section Division I boys’ soccer championship game Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

Bishop, a senior forward, went up for teammate Jeff Lange’s cross and barely beat out Beeding, knocking the ball into the net 11 minutes into the second half.

It was the first appearance in a final for the third-seeded Golden Bears (24-3-3). It was Esperanza’s fifth appearance in the last 11 years; the Aztecs were trying to win their fourth title.

“Nobody in the soccer public expected us to be here,” Temecula Valley Coach Rob Skinner said. “But the guys had faith in themselves. It was a long road to get here.”

Still, it was an easier road than the Aztecs (21-7-3) had to travel.

After a 2-1 overtime victory against Claremont in the first round, Temecula Valley won a second-round game, then received a bye in the quarterfinals after a double forfeit by Alta Loma and El Toro.

The Golden Bears, the Sun Belt League champions, had only four playoff games; Esperanza, the third-place team in the Sunset League, had to play six, including a 3-2 sudden-death victory over fourth-seeded Fountain Valley in the semifinals.

“It’s been a very emotional CIF for us,” Esperanza Coach Kino Oaxaca said. “We had to play six games, but my kids were up for it. No one gave us any credit this year. But, I think by the outcome they know we were for real.”

It was an evenly contested match, with each team earning its share of opportunities. But both goalkeepers were brilliant, keeping the game close.

Beeding had six saves, including one off a hard shot by Temecula Valley’s Kyle Bettis. Bettis had the ball one-on-one with Beeding about 15 yards from the net. When Beeding came out to challenge, Bettis drilled a shot, but Beeding was able to close the gap at the last second and took the ball in the stomach for the save.

Temecula Valley’s Andrew Mitchell, who recorded his 12th shutout this season, finished with seven saves. Mitchell, who knocked down a close-range shot by Matt McNally in the first half, also got help from his defense, which successfully cleared three Esperanza free kicks from less than 25 yards in the second half.

“I thought we played great,” Oaxaca said. “It was a pretty evenly matched game. We just made one mistake and it cost us the game.”