Picking up where they left off in last year's Division II field hockey final, Scripps Ranch and Serra battled into overtime for the second straight season. And like last year, the Falcons came away with the title.

Andi Earle scored with 7:25 to go in overtime, breaking a 1-1 tie and propelling Scripps Ranch to a 2-1 victory last night at Rancho Bernardo High. It's the sixth San Diego Section championship for the Falcons.

Last night's phenomenal finish adds another chapter to a storied rivalry.

After a scoreless first half, Ashley Kyle put the top-seeded Falcons (24-2) ahead 12 minutes into the second half. Off a short corner, Kyle played a teammate's rebound into the goal.

It looked like Scripps Ranch had wrapped up the game in regulation, but Serra (19-7) was awarded a short corner in the closing seconds. The game cannot end until a short corner is complete – which occurs when the defending team clears the ball from the arc.

Serra's Melanie Kahn played a rebound off the initial shot and sneaked it into the goal with no time left in regulation.

“They were mad,” Scripps Ranch coach Jane Morrill said of her team after the goal. “But they kept their composure. It was pretty much the same seven players who were on the field in overtime last year.”

In the extra session, Earle took a pass in front of the net, put one move around her defender and buried the shot. Overwhelmed with excitement, she threw her stick in the air and slid to the ground – even though there were still more than seven minutes to play.

“I knew there was still time. I was just so excited,” said Earle, crying tears of joy. “Everything we have worked for came down to that moment.”

For Serra coach Laurie Berger, it was a frustrating loss to a team the Conquistadors had beaten a week earlier in the regular season.

“They are just really good,” Berger said. “It was a great game. I'm just tired of losing to them.”

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Kevin Gemmell: (619) 718-5304; kevin.gemmell@uniontrib.com