Sage Hill denied

Steve Virgen

The battle for first place in the Academy League between Sage Hill

School and St. Margaret’s High was intense, as both teams seemed to

have emptied all of its efforts on the field.

However, for determining the winner, St. Margaret’s appeared to be

just a bit more battle-tested.

The Tartans, the defending CIF Southern Section Division VI

champions and four-time defending Academy League title-winners,

bested visiting Sage Hill, 2-0, and exacted revenge Tuesday night.

With a goal in each half, St. Margaret’s (11-5-2, 6-1-0) forged a

tie for first place with Sage Hill (8-5-0, 6-1-0) in the Academy

League. The teams appear headed for a share of the league title with

three games remaining.

“That was a good, intense game,” St. Margaret’s Coach Martin

Lippins said. “There was intensity from both sides. [The Tartans]

were pumped up. They were not going to lose this game. And, if they

were going to lose they would have left everything on that field,

like they did.”

Though it could have taken solace in how it matched St. Margaret’s

intensity, Sage Hill was hurting after the loss. The Lighting allowed

their first goals in league play and St. Margaret’s snapped their

six-game winning streak.

Last month, the Lightning ended the Tartans’ 31-league-game

winning skein with a 1-0 victory at Sage Hill.

“They were much better than in the first game we played them,”

said Sage Hill Coach Noureddine El Alam. “It was a very good game,

very upbeat. They were very physical. I’m just glad no one got hurt.”

Coach El Alam congratulated his team on its effort after the game

and assured his players they were tied for first place and were a tad

above the Tartans for playoff seedings. The Lightning have allowed

two goals in league play, while St. Margaret’s has four goals scored

against it, which is the determining factor for the league’s No. 1

seed, El Alam said.

However, it was St. Margaret’s that was the better team in regard

to scoring on Tuesday. The Lightning had better touch and showed a

greater sense of control when they had possession, while the Tartans

were, “sloppy,” Lippins said.

But St. Margaret’s got the job done.

Senior Julian Smith-Newman nearly scored midway through the second

half, but St. Margaret’s goalie Parker Hutch came up with the save.

Freshman forward Braden Ross, as well as freshman defender Alex

Edelstein and senior midfielder Chris Chiboucas, helped the Lightning

stay in the game.

The Tartans took advantage of a Sage Hill mistake in the 33rd

minute, when the Lightning could not clear out an attack and freshman

John Chapman scored from about eight yards out. In the 54th minute,

St. Margaret’s found its insurance goal, as senior Hans Hsu finished

off sophomore Drake Vlautin’s assist.

Hsu scored in front of the net, as it appeared goalie Cesar

Arriaga was out of position. It was Arriaga’s only error. Arriaga,

the league’s MVP two years ago, recorded 10 saves, including a

spectacular stop early in the second half. Kevin Fathi went

one-on-one with Arriaga and the Sage Hill goalie won the duel with a

diving save in the 43rd minute.

St. Margaret’s outshot the Lightning, 12-9.