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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA — The challenges in front of Santa Margarita’s girls soccer team on Thursday mounted in the opening minutes against Mater Dei.
Coming off their first defeat and a week with two draws in the Trinity League, the Eagles quickly fell behind as Mater Dei’s Kendra Hansen scored on a rebound following a hard shot by Valentina Labuschagne.
“Their back was up again the wall and they responded,” Mater Dei coach Matty West said of the Eagles.
Santa Margarita, the reigning CIF-SS Open Division champion, netted four unanswered goals to beat the visiting Monarchs 4-1 in a clash of the top two teams in the Orange County rankings.
Mater Dei’s Kendra Hansen, left, and Santa Margarita’s Laiken Klimpel battle for the ball during a Trinity League game between the two teams on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Bijou Gissendanner kicks the ball during a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei midfielder Brooklynne Thies dribbles with the ball during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei forward Kendra Hansen dribbles up field during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei forward Seven Nguyen takes a shot on goal during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Felicity Nguyen controls the ball during a 4-1 win in a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Lauren Lim shoots and scores one of the Eagles’ 4 goals during a win in a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei forward Kendra Hansen dribbles up field during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Jastel David beats Mater Dei’s Brooke Lalonde to the ball during a Trinity League game between the two teams on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Felicity Nguyen makes a cut with the ball during a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Laiken Klimpel makes a cut with the ball during a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei midfielder Addi Doria takes a shot on goal during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Laiken Klimpel heads the ball during a 4-1 win in a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei midfielder Addi Rodriguez avoids a tackle from Santa Margarita defender Allison Sugerman during a Trinity League game between the two teams on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Jastel David controls the ball during a 4-1 win in a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Mater Dei forward Valentina Labuschagne takes a shot on goal during a Trinity League game against Santa Margarita on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Santa Margarita’s Lauren Lim heads the ball during a 4-1 win in a Trinity League game against Mater Dei on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 17Mater Dei’s Kendra Hansen, left, and Santa Margarita’s Laiken Klimpel battle for the ball during a Trinity League game between the two teams on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) ExpandLauren Lim, Ella Bott, Felicity Nguyen and Winter Meskiel scored goals as the top-ranked Eagles (14-1-2, 2-1-2) snatched first place from No. 2 Mater Dei (11-2-6, 1-1-3) in league.
Goalie Kaitlin Crossett anchored Santa Margarita’s defense with seven saves, including a diving stop on a blast by Hansen from inside the penalty box early in the second half.
For Santa Margarita, which lost to JSerra 2-0 at home on Tuesday, it was the type of response it strives to deliver.
“Today, the big question mark was that was our first loss of the season, last game, and it was like can we respond?” Santa Margarita coach Craig Bull said. “Has this team got the same kind of championship DNA that the teams in the past have had. They’ve always responded after losses.”
“To go 1-nil down is even more than challenging,” the coach added. “That group just showed us that they’re absolutely championship DNA and have the ability to do some great things this year. … Championship DNA for me is finding other ways (to win) when things aren’t going well for you.”
Left wing Jastel David sparked Santa Margarita in the waning moments of the first half. The Utah commit caught the reigning Division 1 champion off guard with a fast run along the left side. The senior sent a cross into the box that Bott flicked into the net for a 2-1 lead.
The strike in the 39th minute loomed significant as Nguyen scored her 24th goal early in the second half off a throw-in by Laiken Klimpel.
On the goal, Nguyen shifted to the opposite side of the attack after Mater Dei goalie JoJo Conn made a diving shot on a cross-cage shot by Nguyen.
About six minutes later, Lim took a free kick from Nguyen and passed to Meskiel for another goal.
“That definitely changed our momentum,” West said of Bott’s goal, which came against a defense missing Lucy Mendiola (injured).
Nguyen, a co-captain with David and injured Emmie Nunez, said the Eagles’ perseverance comes from their tight-knit culture.
“We have so much heart on this team, no matter if you are a college commit or not,” said Nguyen, a junior committed to Texas A & M. “We have just so much togetherness to where we don’t need just talent. We have each other.”
“We’re always called the talented team but I feel like we’re so much more than that,” she added. “We’re all family.”
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