Lion girls’ soccer team wins section title

. Oaks Christian captures eighth CIF crown behind stingy defense



CHAMPS—Oaks Christian High girls’ soccer players smile after a 2-0 win against St. Joseph on March 8 in the CIF-SS Division 3 final at Warren.

CHAMPS—Oaks Christian High girls’ soccer players smile after a 2-0 win against St. Joseph on March 8 in the CIF-SS Division 3 final at Warren.

Winning never gets old.

Oaks Christian High’s girls’ soccer team won its eighth CIFSouthern Section championship on March 8 by defeating St. Joseph 2-0 in the Division 3 finale at Warren High.

The Lions outscored foes 13-1 in a dominating section playoff run. Oaks Christian continued its whirlwind postseason romp on Monday in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regional Division III tournament, disposing of High Tech, 3-0, at home.

Julia Haber, Sam Bruder and Allison Pantuso scored for the Lions on Monday.

Oaks Christian, the top seed, played Marymount on Wednesday in the regional semifinals; results were not available at press time. The So Cal regional final is 5 p.m. Friday at Warren.

The section title is special for the Lions, who finished second in the Tri-Valley League to Oak Park and at times struggled to find rhythm on the pitch. This team has a knack for stepping up when the stakes are highest.

“We really wanted that win,” sophomore midfielder Bruder said of securing the section trophy. “It was a big win for our school and this team. We worked hard.”

Kerry Manion, a four-year varsity veteran and senior captain, put the Lions on the board in the 42nd minute against St. Joseph. Megan Demijohn delivered a cross, and Manion, a defender, slide tackled the ball into the goal for a 1-0 advantage. Bruder beat the St. Joseph goalie for a 50-50 ball and floated a one-hopper into the net for a 2-0 edge, extinguishing the Jesters’ comeback hopes.

“It’s such a great experience to be in the game,” Manion said. “The fact we won it is unreal.

“We didn’t start the season as great as we hoped to, but we can end it strong.”

Manion said head coach Sebastian Alvarado delivered a stirring halftime speech to the team with the squads battling to a 0-0 impasse.

“It was inspiring to see how much he wanted it for us,” Manion said.

The Lions (18-4-4 overall at press time) are the most decorated team at the school—the football team has seven section crowns.

Oaks Christian earned a signature win against Pasadena Poly in the section quarterfinals. Poly has been the only team in four years to defeat Oaks Christian in the postseason—the Panthers upended OCHS in the 2013 section semifinals and So Cal regional finals.

Poly was 23-1-1 overall and had scored in every match entering the Feb. 28 quarterfinals against Oaks Christian. The Lions defeated Poly, 2-0.

“To this day, it’s one of our better victories,” Alvarado said.

“The monkey’s off our back,” Manion said. “It was redemption at its finest. You don’t get three chances to beat a team. After that game, we were cheering forever.”

Abby King, Jessica Pantuso, Rachel Cain and Manion form the defensive backbone.

“I’m proud of our defense,” Alvarado said. “In the past we’ve relied on offense. This year, it’s our defense.”

Manion, who is bound for Columbia, and Alexandra Bruder, Sam’s older sister, are captains. Alexandra Bruder, a senior midfielder, will play soccer at USC.

Lauren Auten, a freshman, has been a dynamo at goalkeeper.

Claire Williams, Cassandra Ucciferri, Hannah Dittmar, Amanda Delaplane, Riz Carmichael, Makaela Martin-LaBrie, Anna Conners, Shaya Aguilar and Lauren Starkey bolster Oaks Christian. David Barra is an assistant coach.

If the Lions reach Friday’s regional championship, it will be their fourth match in seven days.

It’s a brutal stretch for all the players, including Sam Bruder, who was up until 2 a.m. Sunday finishing an online math test. An honors student, Bruder takes three classes online and four on campus.

Finding inspiration is easy for Bruder.

“I love the girls on this team, every single one of them,” she said. “I have a passion in my heart to win. I want to win for the school, win for my teammates, win for my coaches and win for my family.

“Knowing these girls are with me gives me the energy to play hard through the whole game.”


RAISING CAIN—Oaks Christian’s Rachel Cain, right, and High Tech’s Erica Ortiz battle for the ball in the Lions’ 3-0 home win on Monday.

RAISING CAIN—Oaks Christian’s Rachel Cain, right, and High Tech’s Erica Ortiz battle for the ball in the Lions’ 3-0 home win on Monday.

GET A KICK OUT OF YOU—Oaks Christian senior midfielder Amanda Delaplane hammers the ball during the Lions’ 3-0 win against High Tech at home in the first round of the So Cal regional tournament.

GET A KICK OUT OF YOU—Oaks Christian senior midfielder Amanda Delaplane hammers the ball during the Lions’ 3-0 win against High Tech at home in the first round of the So Cal regional tournament.

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