This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Tartans Looking to Send Seniors Out on High Note With CIF Title Today

After three consecutive seasons ending in the semifinals, St. Margaret's girls soccer team has already taken the next step, but now wants to win Division 6 championship.

With a roster filled with juniors and underclassmen, the St. Margaret’s girls soccer team is set up to be a serious contender for at least a couple more CIF Southern Section titles. The Tartans have already been to four consecutive semifinals, but it wasn’t until this year that they were finally able to get over that hump.

Today at 5 p.m. at Mission Viejo High, the Tartans will play in their first section title game since 2006, when they were co-champions with Western Christian. But for the four seniors on this season's team, this will be their only shot at a championship. Three of the four seniors on the team have played with the varsity team since they were freshmen.

 “I feel happiest for my seniors.… They had to suffer through three semifinal losses,” Tartans coach Johnny Marmelstein said.

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The four seniors are defender and co-captain Olivia Collins, goalkeeper Michelle Lancaster, forward Shirin Sadri and defender Tory Davidson. While Lancaster, Collins and Sadri had been there for three consecutive semifinal losses, they experienced several differences this time around.

In the previous three seasons, the Tartans were the lower-seeded team going on the road for the semifinals. And while the Tartans were again on the road this season, they were the top-ranked team in Division 6 -- for good reason. St. Margaret's was one of the hottest team in the Southern Section having gone 24-2-1, including a 22-game unbeaten streak to end the season. The Tartans have not lost a game since Dec. 11.

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In winning the Academy League title, the Tartans went 10-0 and allowed only two goals in all of league play, both coming in the final game of the season, when the title was locked up. That defense has been something in which St. Margaret’s has taken pride. The Tartans have posted 16 shutouts in 24 victories, with Lancaster having to make only 61 saves in 27 games.

Lancaster was a center midfielder for most of her high school career, but after injuring her quadriceps at the start of the season, she would have been limited in the field. And the Tartans were thin at goalie with one player opting not to play this year and sophomore Ellie Schwartz out early in the season with a concussion.

Though reluctant at first to move from the field, Lancaster eventually agreed that the team could benefit from her playing in goal, Marlmelstein said. She competed to win the starting job and her effort and determination won out.

“That was her leadership right there," Collins said. "She’d never played goal before and look at her now.”

Collins has been one of the team’s regular defenders on the back row, with several younger players getting significant time on the back line. Defenders who have held that back line with Collins have been Natalie Barbaresi, Alexis Leon and Kelsey Patch. McCaully Patch and Stefanie Brunswick have been the primary midfielders, with McKenna Marmelstein adding depth as she has worked her way back from injury.

And while the Tartans say they defend as a team, it is the back line in particular that Lancaster said keeps her from feeling uncomfortable in her newly adopted position. They took on an attitude of no goals allowed, especially once league play began.

“It’s like a wall," Lancaster said. "It’s hard to get through us. Two goals all [league] season and three goals in the playoffs so far, I mean, that’s pretty good.”

With three of their four seniors anchoring the defense, the Tartans obviously needed younger players to step up on the attack. And the youth movement did just that. Two of the team’s leading scorers this season were freshmen: Alexa Barbaresi has 19 goals and Madison Glaser has 13.

Junior McCaully Patch has 16 goals and 22 assists, and junior forward Katie Donahue has added nine goals and 17 assists. Four other players have had at least seven goals this season, giving the Tartans a balanced, aggressive attack that Marmelstein said has made them tough to defend.

The Tartans will shoot for the Division 6 championship against San Dimas (20-2-2). The runner-up team in the Valle Vista League but has been on a roll in the playoffs, defeating third-seeded Alverno and second-seeded Hemet on the way to the finals.

Marmelsein said San Dimas has a similar style to them, which could make for a tight game.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?