It’s Sweet and Sour for Buena

GOLETA —  After a pair of victories Saturday on a field that resembled chocolate pudding, Buena High’s girls left the San Marcos soccer tournament with third place and a sweet taste in their mouths.

A goal by fullback Angelina Sanderson in regulation play and two by midfielder Barbara Almaraz in overtime allowed the Bulldogs to come from behind twice and defeat Santa Cruz Harbor, 3-2, in the third-place match.

That Buena (9-2-1) was not playing for the tournament title after defeating four opponents by a combined 14-0 takes some explaining.

After two rounds of play, Buena, Mira Costa and La Serna were undefeated.

But based on a format that awards points for victories, goals and shutouts, Mira Costa and La Serna played for the championship on a relatively firm field.

Buena was left to wallow with Harbor (8-1-1) on a field covered by five inches of mud where the Bulldogs edged Santa Barbara, 1-0, Saturday morning.

The Bulldogs regularly challenge for a Southern Section title with an attack that brings the ball up on the ground.

Saturday, that wasn’t an option and the Bulldogs instead scored on a penalty shot against Santa Barbara and two free kicks and a penalty shot against Harbor.

Harbor’s Katie Woodruff opened the scoring in the 24th minute when she headed in a free kick by Courtney Turner.

Sanderson answered in the final minute of the first half, heading in a 35-yard free kick by Megan Munday.

Minutes after halftime, midfielder Munday was forced to move back to sweeper, replacing injured Rebecca Baker.

Munday, one of the region’s best players, shored up the Bulldog defense but her absence in the midfield was evident immediately.

“The game changes when Megan’s not in the middle,” Buena Coach Trisha Kimble-Butterbaugh said. “We lose the ball more but I still think we played tough all over the field.”

Continued tough play by both teams led to a marked rise in the animosity between them. Slaps, elbows and insults were exchanged after increasingly frequent collisions.

Buena’s Shannon Prentice and Sylvia Naungayan were sent off briefly for rough play and Harbor’s Carey Carver was ejected late in the match for swinging and cursing at Sanderson.

But while Harbor became sidetracked by the fisticuffs, Buena played through them.

Trailing, 2-1, midway through the 20-minute overtime after a goal by Harbor’s Nicole MacDonald, the Bulldogs forged another tie when Almaraz blasted a 25-yard free kick under the crossbar in the 102nd minute.

Five minutes later, Prentice was fouled near the goal and Almaraz converted the penalty shot.

“No one wanted to come to this tournament because we played badly before at [the South Torrance tournament],” said Almaraz, one of five returning starters for Buena. “We’ve got a lot of young players this year but we’re playing better now. We’re still Buena.”