It's still hard to see anyone other than Port Of Los Angeles High girls soccer winning the Crosstown League championship especially if they continue their six-year reign like this.

Harbor Teacher Prep of Wilmington certainly gave it their best shot.

The first meeting, and the first half of the highly anticipated rematch was battled to a standstill, and neither team producing any goals, but on the 51st minute, the pendulum swung in the direction of the Polar Bears, as they held off the determined Monarchs, 3-1 at the San Pedro Field Of Dreams in a battle for sole possession of first place in the league standings, and what was also seemingly a winner-take-all battle for the league title with two games remaining in the season.

At least that's how the host Polar Bears handled it coming into the game.

"I believe the Lady Bears came out to get a great win and that's what was going through a lot of players minds before the game, so we definitely gave our all out there," POLA junior defender Kamryn Cardoza said. "We showed HTPA how we really compete when we're hungry for a victory."

It was a great showdown between two CIF-Los Angeles City Section small schools juggernauts, with POLA (18-2-3 overall, 9-0-1 league) coming in as the top ranked team in Division IV according to MaxPreps.com, and defending CIF-LACS Division V Harbor Teacher Prep (14-2-2, 7-1-1) as the top ranked team in Division V. Their first meeting two weeks prior on January 25 was a scoreless draw, so the winner likely would claim an outright league crown.

In fact, the Monarchs hadn't lost a match since December 21 against San Pedro in the Lady Pirate Cup, going unbeaten in ten consecutive matches, including the tie with POLA, who themselves had gone undefeated in nine straight games, not having lost since a December 23 loss to San Pedro in the finals of the Lady Pirate Cup.

Yet, Harbor Teacher Prep had the best scoring chance in the first half, as high-scoring junior forward Mayela Medina would collide out of the box with POLA senior goalie Emily Haugen, who received a yellow card as a result, setting up a penalty kick chance for Medina.

Enter the other POLA senior goalie... Daisy Garcia, who had only one agenda on her mind facing Medina.

"Keep your eyes on the ball, diving to the right side, and make the save. I can't let HTPA get the lead," said Garcia, a four-year veteran for POLA. "My team was depending on me and I couldn't let them down."

Sure enough, Medina shot it to her right, and Garcia guessed right, diving to the right side and the ball was kicked right at her. Bracing herself while diving, Garcia made the spectacular save, and the game eventually remained scoreless at half even with POLA sophomore forward Briana Mancilla missing a shot off the left post of the goal.

"Daisy is truly an amazing goalie, and during those intense seconds I knew she had the ability to stop that PK, and she proved me right," Cardoza said.

Eleven minutes into the second half, the Polar Bears finally struck when they had numbers going towards the goal with junior midfielder Celina Campbell, she passed towards her left, and there was Mancilla, as she quickly shot in the ball from point blank range while being hit by Harbor Teacher Prep junior defender Angelica Estrada. The ball skirted past Monarchs sophomore goalie Marimar Calisto, and it was 1-0 POLA.

"It just felt great to put my team on the scoreboard and be able to set the tone for the rest of the game," said Mancilla, who now has 25 goals thus far this season.

Nine minutes later, the Polar Bears struck again. Junior defender Alyssa Medrano blasted a free kick towards the net which was controlled by Campbell, but it was Kardoza who somehow tapped it in and the Polar Bears suddenly grabbed a 2-0 lead on the Monarchs. However, senior striker Andrea Aldama would quickly put Harbor Teacher Prep on the board with a goal that went right by Garcia to the right corner of the net in the 61st minute.

Campbell was thrilled that she contributed to POLA's early advantage.

"I was really happy that someone was there to finish them," Campbell said of her two assists. "We were all working really hard for the win and I'm glad I made a difference in the game."

The action continued to be fast and furious but in the 69th minute, POLA freshman midfielder Amber Lopez fired a perfect long throw-in towards the net which junior forward Anna Vidovich missed on a header, but luckily fellow junior midfielder Alejandra Gurrola booted in the goal for a 3-1 lead for the Polar Bears.

"We knew this game was going to be tough and crucial," Mancilla said. "So I told myself and the team that we needed to come out with high intensity from the start to finish if we wanted to win."

It may have took the first 51 minutes, but that's exactly what POLA did as they end the season with two road games against Foshay Learning Center of Los Angeles on Wednesday, and Bright Star of Los Angeles on Thursday where they can end with a sixth consecutive Crosstown League title without a loss, only tying twice during that span. Garcia, the only one of the three seniors (Maddi Pepper being the third) that played all four years, wants to go out in style.

It may have took the first 51 minutes, but that's exactly what POLA did as they end the season with two road games against Foshay Learning Center of Los Angeles on Wednesday, and Bright Star of Los Angeles on Thursday where they can end with a sixth consecutive Crosstown League title without a loss, only tying twice during that span. Garcia, the only one of the three seniors (Maddi Pepper being the third) that played all four years, wants to go out in style.

"It would mean so much to get that fourth Crosstown League title because it would show how hard POLA has worked to be the best," Garcia said. "Also it's a great way to top off my four years with POLA soccer."