Louisville, Wolverines Fight to a 2-2 Finish

Louisville High got the patches. Harvard-Westlake got the plaque.

Both went home champions.

The Mission League rivals battled to a 2-2 tie in the Southern Section Division IV girls’ soccer final Saturday afternoon at Gahr High and will share the title, the first for both schools.

“I think we all feel a little confused,” Harvard-Westlake junior midfielder Jill Oakes said. “Should we say we’re champions or not?”

Her coach, Ned Smith, was just happy to win his first section title.

“We would’ve liked to have won it outright, but they are a good team and they were as hungry as we were,” Smith said. “Maybe it’s better this way. You’d hate to see either of these teams lose after a game like that.”

Fourth-seeded Harvard-Westlake (18-3-5), the league runner-up to Chaminade, defeated Louisville by scores of 4-1 and 2-1, and scored first Saturday on Oakes’ unassisted goal in the ninth minute on a shot from just outside the penalty area.

“It crossed my mind that they might think they had an edge because of the revenge factor,” Oakes said. “But it really doesn’t matter if we beat them a million times--the only game that matters is this one.”

Louisville forward Jenny Farenbaugh broke in alone and her first shot was blocked by goalie Dana Reyes. But Farenbaugh controlled the rebound, dribbled around the fallen Reyes and scored for the 32nd time this season to tie the score, 1-1, in the 21st minute.

Oakes and Farenbaugh are club teammates on the Valley United Stars.

“We are friends, but we are also both very competitive,” Farenbaugh said. “I feel this is somewhat of a moral victory, tying her team. Our team had such an awesome season. We had something to prove and we left our hearts and souls on the field.”

Oakes scored her 19th goal of the season in the 32nd minute, one-timing a pass from Tracy Lansing past goalie Kim Morgan.

Harvard-Westlake led, 2-1, at halftime.

“I’m satisfied with a tie because we came back twice. We’re a second-half team,” Louisville Coach Jose Perez said. “We definitely felt like we were the stronger team at the end. Five more minutes and we may have had them.”

Unseeded Louisville (18-8-3) scored 31 of its school-record 73 season goals on free kicks. It was no surprise that the goal that earned the Royals a share of the championship came on a corner kick by Carrie Schuler.

Schuler’s right-footed shot went over Reyes’ head and hooked inside the far goal post in the 49th minute. From then on, Louisville kept the ball in Harvard-Westlake’s side of the field.

“It’s really hard to beat a good team three times in a row, especially a team that’s been on a roll like us,” Perez said.

After the game, the teams lined up at midfield for a coin flip to determine who would leave with the hardware. Harvard-Westlake won the toss and elected to leave with the plaque. Louisville’s players left with felt patches.

The outcome also left Smith wondering which team should pay for dinner. He suggested to Perez on Friday that the winning team should treat.

“I guess Jose and I will have to arm wrestle for it,” Smith said. “I have no voice left, so a screaming contest is out.”