Girls’ 3-A Soccer Playoffs : Laguna Hills Ends Season With 1-0 Loss

Kerry Krause, the Laguna Hills High School girls’ soccer coach, believed this would be the year his team would win the 3-A Southern Section championship.

But Patti Leivas of Buena had other ideas.

Leivas, a senior forward, drilled a shot into the top left-hand corner past Hawk goalkeeper Lynn Lambert one minute into the second half as the Bulldogs eliminated Laguna Hills, 1-0, in a semifinal match Wednesday at Laguna Hills.

Buena (21-4-1), the Channel League champion, will play Empire League champion Esperanza at 4 p.m. Saturday in the final at Gahr High School. Esperanza defeated defending 3-A champion San Gorgonio, 4-0, on Tuesday. Laguna Hills, the defending Pacific Coast League champion, ends its season 19-6-1.

“I really thought this was going to be our year, “ said Krause. “We came out real slow today and looked like we hadn’t played a game in a week.”

Leivas’ goal was set up after Jenifer Henry chipped a pass over a Laguna Hills defender to Leivas, who was streaking down the right side. She blasted the shot high over Lambert’s head.

Lambert, a senior who has 42 shutouts over the last two seasons, stopped Buena’s high-scoring forward Patricia Kimble (28 goals) three times inside the penalty area.