Drummy Gives United Boost to Soccer Title : Fullback Scores Key Goal to Lead Mission Viejo’s 2-0 Victory in Final

In soccer, fullbacks aren’t supposed to score. Players at that position give up the glory of goals for the less-tangible rewards of stopping an opponent’s drive. Fullbacks usually are satisfied with the occasional assist.

But fullback Maureen Drummy seems to be the exception. Last spring in the Southern Section 4-A championship game, she scored the first goal for Capistrano Valley High School in the Cougars’ victory over Simi Valley.

Sunday, she struck again in the under-19 division of the Mission Viejo Invitational Soccer Tournament. Drummy scored a goal to help Mission Viejo United win the championship game, 2-0, over the Villa Bratz.

In the boys’ under-19 division, the North Huntington Beach Football Club impressively won its third consecutive Mission Viejo championship. By shutting out the Mission Viejo Pateadores Gold team, North Huntington’s goalkeeper Robert Bracero finished a perfect tournament. None of North Huntington’s five opponents scored during the three-day competition.

North Huntington also was successful at the under-16 level, winning the championship by shutting out the Diamond Bar Hawks, 2-0. In the girls’ under-16 division, the Orange Soccer Club Lady Hawks beat the Mission Viejo Wildfire, 3-2.

Drummy said she didn’t anticipate scoring the goal that put Mission Viejo ahead, 1-0, late in the first half.

Drummy, a natural right-footed kicker, was about 30 feet out when she swung her left leg at a high-bouncing rebound. The shot sailed between the Villa goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and the top bar of the goal.

“I just kicked it as low as I could,” said Drummy, who will be a senior at Capistrano Valley. “I looked up and it went in. I think everybody was a little surprised.”

Mission Viejo was never seriously threatened thereafter. The Bratz, a new team from San Diego, rarely penetrated Mission Viejo’s defense except for a few drives in the early minutes of the second half. Goalkeeper Nikki Turner, a senior at Edison High, posted the shutout.

Late in the game with the Bratz trying to tie the score with an aggressive, gambling offense, Mission Viejo forward Jenny Delp scored the second goal.

A pulled thigh muscle had kept Delp out of the first three games of the tournament. She said she was warned by her therapist that she might further injure herself by playing Sunday.

But she said not playing hurt her psyche, so she decided to play.