Tears were flowing. Santa Monica's under-12 American Youth Soccer Organization girls soccer team had just lost a postseason game after a nail-biting penalty-kick shootout, and the players thought their season was over.
But an AYSO official informed coach Richard Pye that his squad would advance to the tri-sectional playoffs with a wild card bid, a fact he then relayed to his players.
"I got every last one to give me a smile," said Pye, an England native who has lived in Santa Monica for about 25 years and coached soccer for 17 years. "The kids went absolutely mental. It was a real touching thing."
Pye's team will play March 21 in Irvine in a tournament featuring some of the best U12 girls squads in the region. Santa Monica is slated to meet North Valley in one semifinal, while Palos Verdes and Garden Grove will duke it out in the other. The winners will battle for top honors later in the day.
Santa Monica, which has compiled a 29-3-1 record while outscoring opponents 81-15, will be vying for its second tri-sectional title in three seasons. The local U12 girls also won the championship two years ago under then-coach Gary Berry.
This weekend's event builds on what has already been a fantastic campaign for Pye's team, which won its league title with a 12-1 record.
Santa Monica won Camarillo and Upland tournaments and also took first place in its division at the 21st annual Locomotion tournament Feb. 13-16 in Riverside, where it finished ahead of runner-up Culver City, third-place Beaumont and fourth-place South Torrance.
Santa Monica recently returned to Riverside for its sectional tournament and defeated La Verne, which Pye said had not dropped a game all season. The local girls then secured a spot in Saturday's tri-sectional semifinal in Irvine despite their heartbreaking finish in the shootout loss.
And regardless of how the U12 girls fare in the upcoming tournament in Irvine, their season will continue this summer with a highly anticipated trip to Sweden, where they will represent Santa Monica and the United States in the youth World Cup.
U12 boys move ahead
Meanwhile, a local U12 boys soccer team will also compete in the tri-sectional playoffs.
Terry Maher's 11-member squad has advanced to play March 22 in Irvine in a one-day tournament that also features teams from Camarillo, Valencia and Long Beach.
Santa Monica currently has a 27-4-3 record and has outscored opponents by a combined tally of 131-43.
"It's been a very good year," Maher said. "It started rough, but they fine-tuned things. We've been through regionals and sectionals and tournaments, and we've been dominating. They've really peaked at the perfect moment, and they're on a roll."
Contact Jeff Goodman at 310-573-8351, jeff@www.smdp.com or on Twitter.
