Southern Section

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

Tuesday, March 2

Championships

DIVISION I

Newport Harbor 10, Foothill 8
Her face was swolen and bruised and her nose was broken, but Carolyn Conway was unbowed.

Consequentley, Newport Harbor was not to be beaten.

Conway scored a game-high five goals and had five steals as the top-seeded Sailors (27-3) ended the title reign of second-seeded, four-time defending champion Santa Ana Foothill with a 10-8 victory over the Knights in the Southern Section Division I Championship Game Tuesday night at Belmont Plaza.

“We ended their era, that’s all I’ve got to say,” said Conway, a senior two-meter standout who sustained a broken nose in the Sailors’ semifinal victory of Long Beach Wilson last week.

Conway, who will play at Indiana next season, played the first quarter with a plastic facemask to protect her nose, eyes and face. She took it off at the start of the second period, however, and went the rest of the way without it because she found that condensation in the mask hampered her vision and breathing.

Conway scored the first goal of the game, tied the scored the game at 3-3 in the second quarter, gave the Sailors their first goal of the second half, and also their biggest leads, first at 6-4 in the third quarter and then at 9-6 in the fourth.

“This is amazing,” Conway said. “I feel terrrific. There’s no better feeling.”

The victory was the Sailors’ third in four meetings with Foothill this year.

Foothill (27-4) had won the last game, 7-6, in the semifinals of the Southern California Championships last month. The Knights, however were unable to rally for another victory once a backhanded shot by Conway put them down 9-6 with 4:28 to play.

Jillian Kraus, who will play at UCLA next season, led the Knights with three goals. She pulled Foothill to within 9-8 with 1:20 to go, and tried to convert again with 15 seconds left but Newport Harbor goalie Kim Housepian (six saves) blocked the shot.
--Lauren Peterson

DIVISION VI

Rowland 7, Garden Grove 6
Senior driver Julie Hale scored five goals for the Raiders (25-1), who won the Division VI championship for the second consecutive season.

Among Hale’s goals were two converted in man-advantage situtations, one on a four-meter penalty shot and one from the perimeter as the 35 second clock expired. Her first score was a natural goal through a block.

Danielle Montenegro converted what turned out to be the decisive goal, making the score 7-4 with 4:43 to play. Elizabeth Hahn had the other goal for Rowland.

Jeanette De Meneces, who finished with four goals for Garden Grove (25-5), scored twice in the last 2:57, including one to pull the Argonauts within the final margin with 37 seconds to go. De Meneces’ sister, Laura De Meneces, missed a last second desperation shot from beyond half-court to end the game.
--Lauren Peterson

DIVISION V

Upland 14, Redlands 7
Senior hole-set Vanessa Lindsey scored six goals as top-seeded Upland (29-3) led from start to finish and won the Division V Championship for the second season in a row.

Lindsey scored twice each in the second and fourth quarters, and goalie Alison Lucas made eight saves, most coming against Redlands shots from the perimeter.

Bri Anderson added three goals for Upland, which held an 8-3 lead at halftime. Ashley Rothweiler and Jenna Schuster had two goals apiece and Breanna Lindsey had one goal for the Highlanders.

Miranda Quinones and Janee Walsh each had three goals for third-seeded Redlands (27-3). Brooke Vessey had the Terriers’ other goal.
--Lauren Peterson

Monday, March 1

Championships

DIVISION II

Corona del Mar 13, Peninsula 3
Encore! … Encore! ... Encore!

At the risk of sounding repetitive, Corona del Mar won its second consecutive Southern Section Division II championship and its third title in a row with a resounding victory over Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula Monday night at Belmont Plaza.

Senior driver Katya Eadington scored a game-high four goals and junior utility player Jordan Anae added three goals for Corona del Mar, but the pair led a balanced attack in which six players scored.

The top-seeded Sea Kings (22-9) jumped out to a 4-0 lead to open the game and took a 5-1 advantage early in the second quarter with goals by five different players.

“Our team just wanted to come out strong and dominate right from the start,” said Eadington. “We wanted to get everybody in. I think we played to our potential today.”

Katlin Kubas and Vivian Liao added two goals apiece for Corona del Mar, which won the Division IV championship in 2002.

“We talked about trying to start a tradition and I think we’ve done that now,” Corona del Mar Coach Aaron Chaney said.

The Sea Kings’ postseason experience and better team speed and defense did in Peninsula (25-5). The Panthers were making their first experience in a title match.

The Panthers, who had a 15-game winning streak snapped, were led by senior hole-set Erin O’Donnell, who had two of their three goals. Nicole Santarosa added Peninsula’s other goal.
--Lauren Peterson

DIVISION III

Temple City 9, El Rancho 6
Senior driver Diana Jung scored four goals and senior goalie Shannon Lane made 10 saves as the Rams (25-6) won the Southern Section Division III championship for the second consecutive year.

Jung, who played more of a defensive role for most of the season, put top-seeded Temple City ahead for good, 7-6, with seven seconds left in the third quarter. Lane held third-seeded El Rancho (28-4) scoreless through a busy fourth quarter in which she made five saves, including three in a row, against the Dons’ standout left-hander Brandy Bray.

Jung’s go-ahead goal and two more early fourth-quarter scores by Linda Calvert broke open what had been a tight game in which the score was tied six times, including 5-5 at halftime.

Bray finished with a team-high three goals and has 104 this season. Junior utility player Sharayah Hernandez added two goals for the Dons, who had beaten the Rams, 6-5, in a nonleague game in December.
--Lauren Peterson

DIVISION IV

Santa Barbara 17, Royal 8
Miranda Nichols and Kami Craig each scored four goals and the Dons won their second consecutive Southern Section Division IV championship and their sixth section title in seven seasons.

Besides two Division IV titles in a row, Santa Barbara also won Division II titles from 1998-2000 and in 2002.

“After a while, you just see yourself winning,” said Nichols, a senior who will play at USC next season. “I’m so lucky to be a part of this team.”

The Dons (29-2), who ended the season with a 22-game winning streak, took control early by jumping out to a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Nichols and junior center Nicole Louie each had two goals in the period and Craig and Bridgette Bugay each had one goal.

Junior goalie Brittany May had nine saves for Santa Barbara, including four in a row to open the game.

Christine Cruz scored four goals and Sharleanna Richardson added three goals to lead Royal (23-8), which made its first appearance in a championship game after winning the Marmonte League title.

The loss was the Highlanders’ second to Santa Barbara this year. They also lost, 18-3, in a nonleague game during the regular season.
--Lauren Peterson