Torrey Pines Upsets No. 1 Bonita Vista

The past 24 soccer matches, a secret welled inside Dennis Costello. He badly wanted to reveal it, but that would have made things worse for the first-year girls’ coach at Torrey Pines High School

For Costello could talk only if Torrey Pines won the San Diego Section championship.

Talk he can and did Friday night after the magical feet of Stephanie Case led Torrey Pines to a 2-1 victory over Bonita Vista and its fifth section title.

Case scored about 30 minutes into the match and again about 15 minutes into the second half for a 2-0 lead.

But top-seeded Bonita Vista, which never had to rally in its previous 25 victories, made it 2-1 on Kim Komara’s penalty kick with 15 minutes left. That fired the Barons, who thereafter hemmed in Torrey (22-2-1).

But Bonita Vista (25-3) couldn’t finish its numerous attacks, and Costello had a load on his back removed.

‘I’ve never said anything, but every first-year coach at Torrey Pines has won the section title, and that was one of my goals,” Costello said, referring to predecessors Glenn Torrance, Pete Barrie and Brian Thomson.

The legacy intact, it was a piece of cake, huh?

“I’ve had about enough,” quipped Costello, a native of London, England. “That second half--I’ve had one heart attack already (two years back), I don’t need a second.”

After Case’s first goal, a Falcon thought Torrey Pines wouldn’t need a second as she hoisted her teammate. But Case, who had dribbled around three defenders and right-footed a 15-yard screamer in the net, said, “It’s not over yet.”

It wasn’t, and she wasn’t.

Her back to the net and a defender, the 5-foot, 7-inch junior center trapped a pass, pivoted around the defender, and hammered a 30-yard shot over goalie Tracy Gibbs. Left footed.