Tologs Shut Out Tartans in Semifinals

The St. Margaret’s High girls’ soccer team was fully aware of what it was up against Thursday when it faced Division 1 champion Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in the semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional Division 3 playoffs.

But they probably weren't expecting a shut out: the Tologs beat the Tartans 3-0 at Occidental College in Eagle Rock to advance to the finals Saturday.

“We were hoping that we would hold them,” said St. Margaret’s coach Johnny Marmelstein, who said the goal was to hold the Tologs to no more than a one-goal advantage going into halftime.

This was not to be.

Flintridge Sacred Heart broke the scoreless tie in the 34th minute when Katie Johnson chested down a ball at the edge of the goal box and left it for Breeana Koemans, who placed it in the left corner to beat goalie Michelle Lancaster.

The Tologs, ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPN/Rise Magazine,  doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Alyssa Conti took a one-touch shot with her right foot from the left side of the goal box that curved into the right corner of the goal, stunning Lancaster.

“I’m used to bending the ball. I do that on corner kicks,” Conti said. “When I was younger that’s how the coaches taught me to do it and they said ‘You’re going to thank me later for doing this’. It was a great goal.”

St. Margaret’s (26-3-1) had its best chances on set pieces. But a pair of free kicks by McCaully Patch went over the goal.

The Tologs added an extra goal for insurance in the 72nd minute as Johnson fed Krista Meaglia on the right side who crossed the ball to Koemans who was able to put a fly ball past Lancaster.

“Our strategy was to play a little pressure,''  Marmelstein said of his Tartans. "But they were organized in the back. We had some opportunities. It was a little unfortunate that we couldn’t get outside of (left back Katelyn Almeida). She was great.”

Of the Tartans "very smart'' coaching strategy, FSHA co-coach Frank Pace said, “It was a bunker defense. That’s what it’s called when you put 11 people behind the ball and shut down the middle.

"He came here and tried to shorten the game. He tried to make it into a 40 minute game and (force) us into a mistake,'' Pace said.

Flintridge Sacred Heart (23-1-1) will face Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, which defeated The Bishop’s of La Jolla 3-0 in the other semifinal.

The game will be played Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Warren High in Downey.