Eagles Steady Themselves, Then Beat No. 2 Mater Dei

In the first 10 minutes of its Serra League boys’ soccer showdown with Mater Dei, Santa Margarita played like a team that had lost its top three scorers to graduation. The Eagles appeared unorganized, tentative and maybe a little scared.

But over the next 70 minutes, Santa Margarita played like a team that had five Southern Section title banners hanging on the fence surrounding its new $100,000 field. The third-ranked Eagles scored in the 22nd minute on a spectacular goal by senior midfielder Luke Boughen and held off second-ranked Mater Dei, 1-0, Monday.

It was Santa Margarita’s third consecutive victory over the Monarchs, but the first this season, Eagles’ Coach Curt Bauer emphasized. “This is a whole new team,” Bauer said. “Last year was last year.”

Boughen scored his seventh goal of the season after receiving a centering pass from midfielder Matt Holtrust, one of six juniors on the team. Holtrust, who had a hat trick in the Eagles’ league opening victory over Bellflower St. John Bosco, stole the ball from a Mater Dei defender on the sideline and then slipped the ball to Boughen about 15 yards from the goal.

“I did a flick over the back of my heel and finished it with my left foot,” said Boughen, who was being closely marked by Mater Dei stopper Rawlston Masaniai. “But it wouldn’t have happened without the defense of Matt Holtrust.”

Said Bauer: “You don’t see goals like that by a high school player more than once every five years.”

Bauer was pleased with the goal and the victory, but not by the way his team started the game.

“We’re young and we were really nervous and scared in the beginning,” he said. “When they settle the ball down and play soccer, they’re pretty good.”

But before the Eagles settled down, Mater Dei attempted four shots on goal. The Monarchs best chance to score came in the fifth minute on a shot from midfielder Eric Rowling on a free kick from the top of the penalty area. Rowling’s blast hit the crossbar and bounced straight down. Santa Margarita goalkeeper Erick Foss cleared the ball after it bounced in front of the goal.

In the second half, both teams had goals nullified by offside calls. The victory gives Santa Margarita (16-3-2, 2-0), the four-time defending Division III champions, a one game lead in league on Mater Dei (18-2-2, 1-1) with four games left.