Eagles Win Regional Title in Girls' Soccer

Move over, boys, the girls are here.

The girls' soccer team for Santa Margarita Catholic delivered a Southern California Regional Championship with a 2-1 Division II victory over La Puente Bishop Amat.

There is no state tournament and there is no Northern California Regional, so the victory Saturday morning at Warren High in Downey is the equivalent of a state title for the Eagles, who were beaten in the Southern Section semifinals by Aliso Niguel on penalty kicks, 4-1.

A few hours after Santa Margarita's victory, Aliso Niguel won the Division I title with a 3-2 victory over previously unbeaten Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos. Aliso had been ranked No. 2 in the nation by ESPNHS, and Los Osos was No. 1.

Santa Margarita (19-5-4), ranked No. 19 in that same poll, came through with a game-winning goal off the foot of junior Samantha Trenary with about eight minutes left in regulation time.

The top-seeded Eagles took the lead in the first half when Bryce Ziemer beat a defender and hit the far post to go up, 1-0, in the 31st minute behind goalkeeper Chelsea Carey.

Third-seeded Bishop Amat (26-5-4) tied the score at 1-1 in the opening minutes of the second half on Yazmin Montoya's score against Santa Margarita's second-half goalkeeper, Taylor Wulf.

But in the games's dwindling minutes, Ziemer passed to Trenary who delivered a floater past Nicole Ragano for one of the most notable goals in Eagles history.

Carey had four saves and Wulf had two for the Eagles.

The soccer team becomes the third program at Santa Margarita to win its sport's major championship. After winning the Pac-5 title, the , and last weekend the although it competes at the club level.