PREP SOCCER ROUNDUP : This Time, El Toro Gets Help in Goal to Win, 1-0

Following his team’s 1-0 victory over South Coast League girls’ soccer rival Dana Hills High School Tuesday, El Toro Coach Bob Chavez gathered his team for a postgame praise session.

Chavez’s praise was not limited to his players. A certain figure--which wears no jersey and takes no side--contributed significantly to the El Toro shutout. So much so that Chavez said he was going to reward it with a kiss.

The goal post, or, specifically, the right post of the south goal, was responsible for deflecting what appeared to be two on-target shots by Dana Hills, the last shot with just 30 seconds remaining in the match.

“I thought that last one was going in,” Dana Hills Coach Ken Ezratty said. “Intense. That game was intense.”

Dana Hills (12-2-1 overall, 1-1 in league play) came into the game ranked fifth in the Southern Section 4-A; El Toro (13-2, 2-0) is ranked seventh.

But El Toro was more aggressive in the first half, with junior halfback Shawn Viloria scoring the game’s only goal after just five minutes of play.

“I got it in the (goalie) box, trapped it and just kicked it in,” said Viloria, who has 22 goals this season, matching the number of her jersey.

Ezratty scolded his players at halftime for letting El Toro’s aggressive play intimidate them. “They’re physical, yeah, so what?” Ezratty said. “Don’t worry about them banging (into) you. Are you guys afraid to take a collision?” That challenge seemed enough for the Dana Hills players, who didn’t hesitate to use a little force to keep El Toro in check.

“Yeah, I don’t like that kind of (overly aggressive) play,” said Chavez, El Toro’s six-year coach. “When I first started here, that’s the kind of soccer we played, the rough tough kind. But we’re better than that, we know better.”

Dana Hills kept pressing El Toro until the end. Although the Dolphins came close to scoring several times, El Toro’s defense held. Of course, the goal post helped. Twenty-three minutes into the second half, striker Jenny Koenig slammed a shot from 10 feet out, but it bounced off the post. With 30 seconds to go, Molly Sullivan took an unguarded shot with the same result.

The last time these two teams met, Dana Hills defeated El Toro, 2-1, in the final of the Irvine tournament in December. In that game, El Toro had two close shots rebound off the goal post.

“What comes around goes around, I guess,” Chavez said, smiling. “Now he (Ezratty) can go home and feel like I did after the Irvine tournament.”

In Empire League girls’ soccer:

El Dorado 2, Loara 0--Amy Ertle and Theresa Korte each scored for visiting El Dorado (7-2-2, 1-0-1).

Los Alamitos 3, Katella 2--Dana Mariotti scored a goal with four minutes remaining for the host Griffins (8-3-1, 1-0-1).

In the Garden Grove League:

La Quinta 5, Garden Grove 0--Cheryl Jones and Stefanie Stucker each scored two goals for visiting La Quinta (6-3, 1-0).

Kennedy 9, Rancho Alamitos 0--Adrian Poan and Krista Darin each scored two goals for visiting Kennedy. Lori Van Herk, Tracy Van Herk, Nicole Paloney, Jelena Sadzak and Misha Kurihara also scored for Rancho Alamitos (8-3, 1-0).

In the Pacific Coast League:

Laguna Hills 9, Laguna Beach 0--Angelica Tornlind and Julie DeCastro each scored two goals to lead host Laguna Hills (8-7-2, 1-0). Monica Shrout, Suzy Kim, Jeanette Eddy, Wendy Larson and Diane Carrillo also scored for Laguna Hills.

Orange 2, Trabuco Hills 2--Stacy Long scored a goal with four seconds remaining for the host Panthers (6-3-3, 0-0-1).

In the Orange League:

Anaheim 4, Savanna 1--Shannon Wons had two goals for Anaheim at Savanna. Letitia Challenger and Janice Roman each added one goal for Anaheim (6-5-3, 1-0), Danielle Marsh scored for Savanna (4-5, 0-1).

In the Sea View League:

University 2, Tustin 2--Stacy McGinley scored with 20 minutes remaining in the match for host University (4-4-3, 0-0-1). Carrie Caposino also scored for Trojans. Courtney Augustine and Laura Teal scored for Tustin.

In the Sunset League:

Marina 2, Westminster 0--Debbie Klein and Tricia Rossman each scored for Marina (6-4-1, 1-0) at home.

Edison 5, Huntington Beach 1--Jeannine Martin scored twice and Jennifer Lachman, Jennifer Cristen and Shelly Blanco each scored one goal for host Edison (6-3-4, 1-0).

In Angelus League boys’ soccer:

Servite 2, Bishop Montgomery 0--Gary Schoeman and Lenny Romero scored for host Servite (6-9, 1-0).

In the Olympic League:

Orange Lutheran 3, Ontario Christian 0--Lee Back, Ben Schroder and Greg Pargee scored for visiting Orange Lutheran (5-0-2, 3-0).

Santa Margarita 2, Whittier Christian 1--Lou Pavlovich scored with four minutes remaining in the match to break a 1-1 tie for host Santa Margarita.