Santa Barbara High fell to Arroyo Grande, 1-0, in the championship match of the San Marcos Winter Classic girls soccer tournament on Saturday.
Arroyo Grande scored the game-winner on a long shot that beat the goalkeeper at the far post.
The Dons pushed forward to get the equalizer.
“We were able to create a couple of good scoring chances in the final 10 minutes but to no avail,” said Santa Barbara coach Jill Wolf.
Santa Barbara advanced to the final with a 1-1 tie against Maranatha. Down 1-0 with five minutes to play, Erin Graf scored the tying goal.
“I am super proud of the girls’ effort this weekend,” coach Wolf said. “They gave it their all and had some great moments. “
Arroyo Grande reached the final by coming back to tie Capo Valley, 2-2, on Saturday morning.
San Marcos had a big day on Saturday, scoring a pair of 4-0 wins over Carpinteria and Santa Ynez.
Sophomore Danielle Anderson scored two goals and added an assist in the Carpinteria win. Ashley Julio scored a goal and Melanie Miller headed in a corner kick from Anderson for the fourth tally.
“I’m pleased with the girls resiliency,” San Marcos coach Macie Berlin said. “There were tough moments, yes, but I attribute very little of that to lack of play or want on our end. We saw some phenomenal teams this weekend, and we stood out just as well. I’m excited to move forward.”
After getting shut out by San Marcos, Carpinteria got a pair of goals from Kelsie Bryant and Jenny Alaniz in a 4-2 loss against Louisville High. Bryant scored on a free kick from 25 yards and Alaniz scored on a rebound of a shot by Elie Morgan.
“We had a few more opportunities and we finally started to press but it was just a bit too late,” said Carpinteria coach Charles Bryant.
