JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers THEIR TIME—Westlake’s Ericka Baer is one of five Warrior seniors hoping make the most out of their final CIF playoff opportunity. After winning three-straightmust-win matches over Agoura, Newbury Park and Moorpark, the Westlake girls’ soccer team headed into last week’s regular season finale against Royal in control of its own destiny.

A win, and the league title was theirs, a loss or a tie, and that distinction would go to rival Agoura.

The Warriors ended up with a 1-1 tie, their second of the season against Royal. But rather than let the disappointment bring them down, the team is hoping to use the near-miss title as motivation for a run at a CIF-Southern Section title they last won in 2003.

“The fact that we didn’t finish the deal was disappointing to us, but I also think it’s ammunition going into the playoffs,” head coach Frank Marino said. “Sometimes not getting what you want can be a good thing because it pushes you a little more. . . . and I think we needed that.”

Westlake begins the CIF Div. II playoffs Saturday in Riverside against Martin Luther King High School, the No. 2 team from the Ivy League. Game time is 3 p.m.

The Warriors finished the regular season with a 12-2-6 overall record and a 8-1-5 mark in league, just one point behind first-place Agoura, which earned the right to play at home Saturday against Santa Barbara.

It was the second-straight year Westlake missed out on the Marmonte League crown by a single point after winning it five consecutive times from 2000 to 2004.

Senior Ericka Baer echoed the opinion of her coach, saying the team’s lackluster performance against Royal in the league finale might just have been the wakeup call the Warriors needed.

“Now we know we have something to prove to everybody,” said Baer, one of five Westlake seniors. “It’s made us want to work harder, made us want to prove that we should have won (Marmonte).”

Westlake enters the playoffs as one of Div. II’s hottest teams. The Warriors haven’t lost a match since Jan. 13 and have outscored their opponents by a total of 14-7 in their last five contests, including a 5-2 win over league champion Agoura.

Marino said that aside from the final match of the regular season, his team is playing its best soccer.

“We didn’t play well against Royal, and that’s the only bad game I can say we’ve played in the last two weeks,” Marino said.

After injuries, sickness and club commitments prevented the Warriors from playing with their full roster for much of the season, Marino hopes his team will be at full strength—minus (possibly) injured goalie Caitlin Hart—for most of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, junior Kylie McDonald, who leads the team in goals and assists, will be absent from Saturday’s match against MLK because she will be attending the U.S. National Team Camp. She’s expected to return for the Warriors’ second-round match if they’re victorious.

“What am I going to do, be mad at her? I’m thrilled for her. She’s going to national camp. It just happens to be during our first playoff game,” Marino said.

The situation means other Westlake standouts—players like Baer, Rebekah Olin and Kate Edwards—will have added responsibility, especially on the offensive end.

No worry, players said, it’s something they’re used to.

“By now, people know they need to step up when our starters can’t play,” Baer said. “I feel comfortable having anyone come in.”

Edwards, a junior midfielder, agreed. “I think we actually play better (when someone is out), I really do,” Edwards said, “because we know we need to step up and play that much harder to fill in for that person.”

Another obstacle for Westlake this Saturday will be playing on the road, where they’ve struggled at times during the regular season.

Both Westlake losses this year came away from the familiar confines of Warrior Stadium, and the field conditions in Riverside are expected to be far different from Westlake’s home turf.

“We’re a better team at home than we are away because I think playing on (our) field helps our style, but it’s not an excuse,” Marino said. “We’ve just got to go out and beat whoever we play and beat them on their field.”

If the Warriors can win Saturday, then chances are they’ll be at home for their second-round matchup next Wednesday. A victory there, and according to Marino, the sky’s the limit.

“I think we’re certainly capable of winning a round or two, and if everything goes right, and we start playing well, we can make a run at the title. I really believe that,” Marino said.