GARDENA - It was not one of the auspicious starts Mary Star High girls soccer was hoping for.

Starting the year 2-6, it seemed like the Stars wouldn't contend for a playoff spot, let alone for the Santa Fe League championship, but Mary Star would regroup in their final nonleague game with a 1-0 victory over Connelly of Anaheim on January 9, then went right to work on the league.

Now the Stars are in the CIF-Southern Section Division VI playoffs... and Santa Fe League champions to boot by virtue of their 5-2 victory over host Serra of Gardena.

It was a long climb back to respectability for Mary Star (10-7 overall, 7-1 league) after going winless in the Camino Real League a season ago, but that climb was well worth it.

"I am so excited," Mary Star junior defender Alyssa DiMassa said. "From that rough start we were able to play together and work together as one to win this league title. I'm glad we came from that losing streak to finally be able to get the win we worked so hard for."

In fact, Mary Star made it a point to take care of business early and often, and the early aggressiveness paid off.

Senior midfielder Sarah Garcia scored in the eighth minute off a pass from sophomore midfielder Anna Stefanou and the Stars were quickly up, 1-0 before they, and Garcia, knew it.

"It was a rush," Garcia said. "Right after my goal went behind the net, it took me seconds to realize that I scored the first goal and I was excited. It was an amazing feeling."

Mary Star was intent on getting more, so they kept the pressure on the host Cavaliers (6-4, 5-3). Senior forward Alex Figueroa, sophomore forward Gabriella Fernandino, senior midfielder Dori Lindeman and freshman defender Katin Latka all scored in the first 30 minutes for a 5-0 halftime advantage.

"We knew we had to win this game if we wanted to win league and move on to playoffs," said Lindeman, whose knee injury kept her out of the first meeting with Serra, which the Stars won 4-1 on January 22. "We all worked as a team and moved the ball around very well which eventually led to our five goals. We were all putting in 100%."

Lindeman and most of the regulars rested for the majority of the second half, where the Cavaliers were able to score twice to make the score respectable, but Latka and sophomore goalie Taylor Garcia combined for seven saves to keep Serra from getting any closer. And as a result, Mary Star would clinch its first league championship in three years, where they won their second straight Camino Real League crown during the 2011-2012 season.

Lindeman and Sarah Garcia (no relation to Taylor) were freshmen on that 2012 team and both said this year's league title is not much less sweeter than it was three years ago.

"We really wanted this," Sarah Garcia said. "It feels absolutely amazing now that we won during my senior year."

Echoing Garcia's sentiments is Lindeman.

"This feels great," Lindeman said. "Knowing how hard we all worked to win this league, there's no greater feeling than that."

Mary Star will try and close out the regular season in grand fashion Thursday against visiting St. Bernard.