Roosevelt Back in Finals

Nibardo Martinez scored two goals, including the game-winner two minutes into injury time, and the Roosevelt High boys’ soccer team advanced to the City Section finals for the second time in three years with a 3-2 victory over Eastern League rival South Gate on Wednesday afternoon at South Gate.

Roosevelt, which beat Gardena, 2-1, in the 2000 championship game at East L.A. College, will play top-seeded Woodland Hills El Camino Real at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

Rene Chicas tied the score, 2-2, in the 80th minute off a pass from Ram teammate Javier Maravilla, but 15th-seeded Roosevelt (19-5-3) controlled the ensuing kickoff and Chris Alvarez sent a high ball bouncing into South Gate’s penalty area, where Martinez flipped it over goalie Armando Navarro. Roosevelt avenged 4-1 and 5-2 losses in league play.

“When they scored, we were thinking about just maintaining the score and regrouping in overtime,” said Martinez, who has nine goals and 11 assists this season.

“But when we got the ball in their end, Chris gave it to me and it was a race between me and the goalie. Fortunately, I got there first.”

Hector Islas gave the Roughriders their first lead, 2-1, when he redirected a pass from Alvarez into the upper right corner in the 67th minute for his 15th goal of the season.

Martinez was fouled in the 18-yard box and converted the ensuing penalty kick to tie the score, 1-1, in the 60th minute.

Alberto Navarro was tripped in the penalty area and Maravilla’s successful penalty shot gave 11th-seeded South Gate (18-5-1) a 1-0 lead 20 minutes into the first half.

Steve Galluzzo

*

El Camino Real 3, Fremont 0--Sophomore Ivan Leon scored two goals in the second half to help the host Conquistadores to victory in the semifinal.

El Camino Real (24-3-3), trying to win its second consecutive section title and third in four years, took a 1-0 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half when Derek Hanks scored after Fremont goalkeeper Alejandro Rico had blocked a shot on goal moments earlier.

Fremont finished the season 18-4-3.

In a girls’ Championship Division semifinal:

El Camino Real 1, Granada Hills 1 (El Camino Real wins on penalty kicks, 3-1)--Goalkeeper Miko Penn of host El Camino Real blocked two of four penalty kicks and Granada Hills shot another one wide right in the shootout portion of a game that was tied after two overtime periods.

Defending champion El Camino Real (17-3-1), the No. 2-seeded team in the division, trailed, 1-0, after the first round of the shootout. But No. 3-seeded Granada Hills (19-4-1) didn’t score again while the Conquistadores made three consecutive penalty shots to clinch the victory.

El Camino Real, which split two West Valley League games against Granada Hills this season, took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half when Jessica Harris scored on a penalty kick.

Granada Hills tied the score with 11 minutes left in the second half when Jackie Kecskes headed in a pass from Patrice Godwin.

John Ortega

*

In a Southern Section Division III girls’ semifinal:

Santa Margarita 2, El Dorado 1 (OT)--Shannon Foley’s goal in the ninth minute of overtime sent the top-seeded Eagles (18-1-4) into the finals on Saturday, where they will face Serra League rival and third-seeded Mater Dei.

Fourth-seeded El Dorado (23-4-3) struck first on a goal by Jenna Leiding in the sixth minute, but Alix Cohen’s goal in the 62nd minute tied it.