Mater Dei Wins in Overtime

The opposing coach called it lucky. His own coach termed it opportunistic.

But there was no question that the goal scored by Matt Van Berckelaer of Santa Ana Mater Dei was the game winner Saturday in the Monarchs’ 3-1 overtime victory against Dana Point Dana Hills in the championship game of the Huntington Beach Marina boys’ soccer tournament.

Defender Brad Smith gave Mater Dei (12-1-2) its final margin of victory when he scored a goal with less than a minute left in the 20-minute overtime period. But Van Berckelaer broke a 1-1 tie five minutes into overtime when he lobbed a shot over backpedaling Dana Hills goalkeeper Andrew Schafer while battling defender Daryl Osborn for the ball.

“I just kind of reached my leg around him,” Van Berckelaer said of Osborn. “I saw the keeper coming out so I put it up over him.”

Dana Hills (9-4-1) took a 1-0 lead midway through the second half when Rafael Guzman scored on a rebound of a Ryan Oakes shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Jesse Forsythe. But Mater Dei, the No. 5-ranked team in the Southland by The Times, tied the score a minute later when Tim Chicoine scored after a long pass from midfield bounced past goalkeeper Brian Mason.

John Ortega

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Senior goalkeeper Shannon Hilliker recorded her fourth shutout in five games and seventh of the season and Dana Hills scored twice in the second half to defeat Phoenix Horizon, 2-0, in the Foothill tournament championship game.

Junior stopper Jackie Zabek scored with an assist from Dianne Pastier in the 43rd minute for the Dolphins (11-1-1). Senior forward Emily Baker scored off a corner kick in the 63rd minute. To win the tournament for the first time, the Dolphins beat defending champion Santa Margarita, 3-2, in a semifinal.

Lauren Peterson

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Elena Alvarenga of L.A. Hamilton and a member of the South Bay Soccer Club, has committed to Cal State Northridge.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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L.A. Franklin hired Eric Jaimes as its new football coach to succeed Armando Gonzalez, who resigned in November after 17 seasons. Jaimes served as Gonzalez’s defensive coordinator the last four seasons.

-- Eric Stephens