San Clemente Boys Soccer Earns CIF Division 1 Title

SAN CLEMENTE, CA —They've played in the rain, in the mud, battling as San Clemente High School boys soccer team will, but this week they celebrated the win against Cathedral to claim the big prize.

On Saturday, on their home pitch at San Clemente High School, the boys of San Clemente won over Los Angeles's Cathedral on PKs, 4-3, after a tie of 2-2 at the end of overtime. A well-matched game if there ever was one, these boys battled hard for their Tritons fans and beat the Phantoms in their first regional championship in 8 years.

Though they battled hard, leaving chances on the field with a missed penalty shot and a blown header, leaving the Tritons tied at the end of the second half.

With Curtis Harvey in goal the majority of the game, the Tritons switched to keeper Ryan Kowarsch for penalty kicks.

Kowarsch has a history of PK success, hanging on to win over Paramount in the CIF-SS playoff match. The two keepers have split time, and both have endured "peaks and valleys," according to coach Michael Pronier.

During the nail-biting PKs, trading shot for shot, San Clemente earned a 4-3 advantage.

The Phantoms stepped up with a final attempt, with a player shooting to the left low corner. Kowarsch made the diving save to get a hand on it and stop the shot earning the Tritons the win.

"When you look at the whole season, it's just incredible what they did," Pronier told the OC Register." There is something special here. To finish like this is one of the best experiences of my 31-year career."