BOYS’ SOCCER ROUNDUP : Trabuco Hills Rises Above Jeers, Quiets La Quinta With Shutout

John Kane, the Trabuco Hills boys’ soccer coach, isn’t one to get upset over a little teasing and taunting from Pacific Coast League rival Laguna Hills.

In fact, Kane seems to like it.

With the Laguna Hills team jeering Trabuco Hills from the bleachers, the Mustangs defeated La Quinta, 2-0, in a Southern Section Division 2-A wild-card match Wednesday at Trabuco Hills.

Trabuco Hills (14-8-1), which finished third in league behind champion Laguna Hills and Estancia, advances to Friday’s first round at Anaheim.

“It’s great to win with Laguna Hills up there giving us the business,” Kane said. “I love that. We split with them during league, and there’s been a great rivalry between us for awhile.”

Jerry Currier, playing his first game at forward, scored both Trabuco Hills goals. Currier scored twice in a six-minute span early in the second half, both goals coming off assists from Jeff Martino.

With nine minutes gone in the half, Martino lofted a crossing pass at the right-hand side of the La Quinta net. Currier collided with La Quinta goalkeeper Praseuth Sotakoun while both players were in the air, then nudged the ball in to give Trabuco Hills a 1-0 lead.

Six minutes later, Martino made a perfect crossing pass from the corner to Currier, who kicked the ball into an open net.

Trabuco Hills stopper Brian Twigger effectively shut down La Quinta’s Tuan Dang, one of Orange County’s top scorers. Twigger marked Dang constantly, limiting Dang to two shots in the match.

La Quinta finishes 9-9-2.