The magic dried up for the Santa Barbara boys soccer team on Tuesday in CIF’s Division II semifinal played in Orange County, where the Channel League champion Dons succumbed to an equally skilled Valencia of Placentia side 1-0.
No. 3 seeded Santa Barbara ends a successful campaign with a 22-3-3 record while the Tigers move on to the final having not allowed a single goal against throughout the playoffs. Valencia, which won the Empire League, improves to 19-5 overall.
After a scoreless first half, the Tigers broke through two minutes into the second frame on a blast from the 18-yard line that screamed into the back net. The shot came off an initial attempt on goal that the Dons defense blocked, but the ball bounced in Valencia’s favor and Santa Barbara couldn’t stop the powerful second-chance strike.
“The guy hit a great shot,” said Santa Barbara head coach Todd Heil, whose defense was extremely hard to score on this season, recording 18 shutouts in 28 games.
Heil said Valencia’s defense was equally tough. The Dons produced four shots on goal following Valencia’s score, and Heil said the ball was in the Tigers’ defensive third a majority of the final 15 minutes.
Unlike Friday, when the Dons pulled out two goals in the final minutes to pull victory from the jaws of defeat, Santa Barbara couldn’t find the equalizer.
“I’m extroardinarily proud of the boys,” Heil said following the loss. “We don’t have a superstar, we got as far this year because we played together as one.”
Valencia also took out San Marcos in the opening round and will play the winner of Bell Gardens and Santa Ana for the CIF championship.
