THE PREPS : Ocean View Girls’ Soccer Tournament : Mission Viejo Takes Championship, 2-0 : Diablos Beat Mater Dei to Extend Unbeaten Streak to 53 Games

The Mission Viejo High School girls’ soccer team defeated Mater Dei, 2-0, Wednesday to win the Ocean View tournament at Ocean View High School.

The Diablos, who extended a two-year unbeaten streak to 53 games, outshot the Monarchs, 18-2, for the game and controlled the second half.

The scoreless first half was another story.

Mater Dei, unranked in both Orange County and the Southern Section 3-A, played exceptional defense against Mission Viejo (11-0-1), defending champion of both the tournament and the Southern Section 4-A.

Monarch goalkeeper Michelle Lodgya made 18 saves, including a pair on sprawling dives.

“Michelle’s been our key the whole season,” Mater Dei Coach Marty Breen said. “Our team’s hallmark is its cohesiveness, and she is the anchor of that.”

Mission Viejo appeared to be caught off guard. Even Diablo midfielder Julie Foudy, the Southern Section offensive player of the year, was limited to dribbling instead of her usual, near-magical moves.

“What’s wrong with them out there?” said Diablo fullback Stacey Robertson, who sat out with torn knee ligaments. “This isn’t the way we play.”

But after some halftime inspiration from Coach Jim Dutton, the Diablos came out shooting.

“He just told us to put more heart into it,” said striker Rae Hubocan, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player. “We just needed to wake up.”

After 10 minutes of keeping the ball within scoring range, Foudy threaded her way in and around several defenders on a quick drive to the middle, took an assist from Hubocan and scored from 10 yards out.

From there, the Diablos’ play quickened. Eight shots were fired in the next 10 minutes, but all were stopped by Lodgya.

A minute later, Hubocan executed a free kick that rebounded off Lodgya’s hand and into the aim of striker Stacey Hopper, who scored from five yards.

“I thought we played pretty well, especially since they kept pressuring us,” Dutton said. “I’d say they are definitely on par with the top five teams in (the Southern Section).”

Despite the loss, Breen was pleased.

“We weren’t supposed to do these things this year,” he said. “This is the first time the school’s ever made it to a final of any (girls’) soccer tournament and the first time we’ve ever played a team of this caliber.”

In the third-place game:

Alemany 3, Capistrano Valley 1--The Cougars outshot Alemany, 18-13, but couldn’t break through a tough defense. Alemany (10-3-1), the Southern Section 3-A runner-up, had unassisted goals from Shannon Lambert, Sondra Shatkin and sophomore Rachel Gagliano.

Jill Linhart scored Capistrano Valley’s only goal on a header off a cross from Sarah Stoney. Jennifer Filipowicz made nine saves for the Cougars (10-2).