Arcadia Aims for Postseason Success

The concept crystallized in Shelby Greep’s mind during the fall of 1999, exactly one year and one early playoff exit into her tenure at Arcadia: If her girls’ soccer team wasn’t tested in league play, why shouldn’t she seek alternative opponents?

Greep followed her intuition, looking outside the box while staying inside school grounds. Her plan materialized into a bimonthly Monday night scrimmage against the Arcadia boys’ freshman team, beginning a classic battle of the sexes that measured her team’s talent.

Seniors Brittany Klein and Susie Mischenko remember their reactions to a defining moment in the rivalry that occurred during the pair’s freshman year. A male classmate, and friend to both at the time, slid dangerously into the ankle of then-senior teammate Paula Wizel, causing her to tumble forward.

“I schooled him a couple times after that,” said Klein, a senior forward and four-year varsity starter who has 26 goals and 27 assists this season. “We weren’t going to lose to a bunch of little boys.”

They never did. And three years later, Klein and Mischenko haven’t lost their edge. Neither has Arcadia, a team, ranked second in the Southland by The Times, that regularly hands double-digit drubbings to Pacific League opponents.

The Apaches are closing in on their sixth consecutive league title without a loss. This season marks perhaps their most dominating performance in Greep’s six seasons; Arcadia has yet to give up a goal in league play.

That trend continued Thursday with an 11-0 victory over visiting Pasadena Muir, giving the Apaches a 20-1-2 record, 9-0 in league play.

Arcadia’s numbers are staggering this season: 123 goals, eight goals allowed, 16 shutouts. But then, domination isn’t a problem for Arcadia in November, December and January. The Apaches were ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the Southern Section Division II poll after the 2001 regular season, one of three in which they’ve held the top ranking heading into the playoffs.

The problem is in the postseason, where Arcadia has displayed a lack of mental toughness.

“We’ve made it to every [playoff] round except the championship,” said Greep, whose school last won a section title in 1993. “I’ve watched us blow it every year.”

The scenarios range from unfortunate -- allowing three header goals two seasons ago against Aliso Viejo Aliso Niguel -- to the unacceptable -- letting a dusty field and a vociferous band disrupt the team last season at Brea Olinda.

This season, Greep has taken a different approach. No more pulling back during routs. No more goalie-to-forward, forward-to-goalie lineup changes. No more lax practices.

Most notably, no more complacency during league play. To gauge her team’s playoff readiness, Greep added two tough nonleague opponents, Pasadena La Salle and Chino Hills Ayala, in the middle of the league schedule. Arcadia won 2-1 each time.

The Apaches also defeated now-No. 1 San Clemente, 1-0, in a Dec. 11 road game and finished in fifth place (4-1) at the Santa Ana Foothill Excalibur tournament.

With seven Premiere League club players on its roster, Arcadia has the personnel to match any team in the Southland. Aarti Jain, a junior forward who missed Thursday’s game because of a sprained ankle, has 27 goals. She’s the primary beneficiary of well-placed passes originating from Arcadia’s veteran midfield -- senior captains Klein, Mischenko and Kim Stillman, who have a combined 46 assists.

“This is one of the most talented groups to come through Arcadia,” Klein said. “We’ve been close every year. This is my last chance at a [section] title.”