The Servite soccer team celebrates after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Photo provided by: Michael Golding, Contributing Photographer)
COSTA MESA — A spectacular first-half scoring performance and clutch saves in the second half were two of the main factors in the Servite soccer team's 1-0 victory over Orange Lutheran in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals. The playoffs will be held Saturday at Orange Coast College.
The region title is the second in three years for the Friars (21-6-2), who won the Division I championship in 2022.
“They came after us with so much energy,” Servite coach Eddie Soto said of Orange Lutheran. “They put a lot of pressure on us, which is what they had to do, and our players never, never, ever buckled. And I'm most proud of that. I think they were very comfortable in uncomfortable situations. For me, that's something I've emphasized all year and I'm really proud of them.”
This was the fourth meeting between the Trinity League teams this season and the second time in the championship race.
Servite's Mathias Kremer, 6, during the CIF Southern California Regional Division II final boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. celebrates scoring the only goal of the game. (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Servite goaltender Taryn Morgan (1) celebrates after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. ) (Photo by Michael) Golding, Contributing Photographer)
Justin Cuevas, 10, of Servite High School plays during the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024. ) defends near the Servite school goal (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Matthias Kremer, 6, of Servite, after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. won 1-0. (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Xavier Alcantar, 10, of Orange Lutheran Church and Servite High School boy during the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa. Parker Buetou, 16, fights for control of the ball. Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024 (Photo by Michael Goulding)
Servite head coach Eddie Soto with fans after the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Servite's Ashton Ta Tran, 2, and Orange Lutheran's Xavier High School during the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals boys soccer championship game between Servite and Orange Lutheran High Schools at Orange Coast College. Alcantar (10 years old) fights for control of the ball. Saturday, March 2, 2024 in Costa Mesa (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Jacob Garcia (6 years old) of Orange Lutheran Church and Servite University during the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Division 2 finals held at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on the 16th. Freddy Mora (9 years old) competes for the ball. Saturday, March 2, 2024 (Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran's AJ Campbell, 21, and Servite College during the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa. Nicolas Nodalus (24 years old) fights for control of the ball. Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024 (Photo by Michael Goulding)
The Servite soccer team celebrates after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Photo provided by: Michael Golding, Contributing Photographer)
The Servite soccer team celebrates after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Photo provided by: Michael Golding, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran players after losing to Servite in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School on Saturday, March 2, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. one person helped from the field. , 2024 (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Teil Lozano, 14, of Servite plays during the CIF Southern California Regional Division 2 final boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School on Saturday, March 2, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. He headed the ball wide of his team's goal. , 2024 (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
Xavier Alcantar, 10, of Orange Lutheran Church during the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School on Saturday, March 2, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. (years old) never takes his eye off the ball. 2024 (Photo by Michael Golding, contributing photographer)
The Servite soccer team celebrates after the boys soccer championship game between Servite High School and Orange Lutheran High School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II finals at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Photo provided by: Michael Golding, Contributing Photographer)
Servite defeated the Lancers 3-1 in the CIF-SS Division 1 final on February 24, and both teams played two league games during the regular season.
Matthias Kremer scored the only goal of the game in the 13th minute on a play that started with a throw-in from the left sideline about 30 yards from goal.
Two cross passes were made after the throw-in, the second going to Ashton Tatran.
Ta Tran then passed to Kremer, who was stationed near the left goal post, close to the goal.
“I just kept running and he put the ball in the right spot where I needed it and I was able to dive into it a little bit and poke a little bit. That's all we needed. ,” Kremer said. “It held up. We transitioned into some formations to maintain the lead and got into a bit of a back-and-forth situation towards the end, but we maintained the lead and that's what matters.”
The Lancers (13-8-5) had a chance to tie the game.
The chance went right over the goal with Jim Lee's bicycle kick.
Lett had the only goal in the Lancers' 1-0 win over Crossroads in the district semifinals on Thursday.
Orange Lutheran's best chance came on a Joaquin Chavez free kick from 35 yards down the field.
The kick was violently sent into the center of the goal, so low that it passed just under the crossbar, and at a height that was out of the reach of most goalkeepers.
However, Servite goalie Taryn Morgan, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, was able to leap high enough to punch the ball over the goal.
“I saw the ball coming, I reacted, I pushed the ball over the bar and I maintained a shutout in the final,” said Taryn of the University of California, Davis. “This is my senior year and my last game with these guys. I've been with them for four years, so there's a lot of emotion behind this game.”
The Lancers won the Division IV regional championship and the Southern Section Division 4 championship last season and have stepped up in a big way this season.
“It really tested us,” Lancers coach Mike Oseguera said. “It also tested our young players who have stepped up in a big way and just helped grow the program.
“We had a lot of support and a lot of young players who were on the sideline with ambitions of getting on the field one day. So the future is very bright.”