HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PREVIEW : Daws, Lowen Kick Around College Offers

Twelve-year-old Cindy Daws fidgeted in her airplane seat in 1987, flying to yet another soccer tournament, this one in Florida.

Next to her sat Julie Foudy, then a Mission Viejo High soccer standout and already a member of the U.S. National team--and Daws’ idol. Daws, sheepish in Foudy’s presence, barely spoke a word to her. Instead Daws waited until Foudy fell asleep, pulled out a camera and took a picture of her hero.

She still has the photo.

Alyze Lowen, Daws’ best friend, also is an avowed Foudy fan. Lowen actually visited with Foudy in a teammate’s Boca Raton, Fla., room two weeks ago at a national-team tryout.

“I was like ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe it’s Julie Foudy,’ ” Lowen said. “But she was really nice. She’s my total idol.”

Both Daws and Lowen renewed their acquaintance with Foudy last weekend while on a recruiting trip to Stanford. Foudy, who starred on last year’s U.S. Women’s World Cup champion team, is a senior All-American for the Cardinal.

Having the same idol is only one thread that binds Daws, a Louisville High senior from Northridge, and Lowen, a Harvard-Westlake senior from Tarzana, the two best girls’ soccer players in the area.

And it is an appropriate thread, because both Lowen and Daws want to follow in Foudy’s cleat marks--starring in college, playing on the national team and ultimately in the World Cup.

They very well could.

Both virtually have their pick of colleges; all are offering scholarships.

Both were members of the under-17 national team the past two years and Lowen, 17, was a member of the pool of about 30 players for this year’s under-19 national team (Daws, 17, was hobbled by an ankle injury at the tryouts in July.) Both tried out for the 1993 under-19 team two weeks ago in Boca Raton.

The pursuit of their soccer goals is well under way, and they are about to take the next step. Fittingly, they could take that step together.

Both are considering attending Stanford, whose coach, Berhane Andeberhan, is coach of the under-19 national team. Both also are considering North Carolina, whose coach, Anson Dorrance, is coach of the World Cup team.

Three weeks ago, a wide-eyed Lowen sat in the stands at North Carolina’s Fetzer Field, watching the Tar Heels win their seventh consecutive NCAA title with a 9-1 victory over Duke.

“It was really touching because (Dorrance) cried as he dedicated the game to the seniors,” Lowen said. “I was just amazed.”

Daws, who took her North Carolina recruiting trip on a different weekend, says of Dorrance, “He’s a great speaker, a great motivator.”

So which will it be? North Carolina? Stanford?

Will they take their next step together?

“It’d be great if we could go together,” Lowen said. “Hopefully, we will go to the same school. If not, it’s going to be really strange.”

Either way, they insist they are deciding independently.

“I promised my dad that (Alyze’s decision) wouldn’t affect my decision,” Daws said. “I’ll go somewhere because I wanted to go to school there and not just because someone else went there.”

They hope to decide by Christmas, and should they pick the same college, they would follow an obvious trend.

Since becoming soccer buddies at a camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, three years ago, the two have done nearly everything together, including playing center midfielder on the Valley United Wings club team.

They are regular movie and dinner companions, they studied for the Scholastic Aptitude Test together in a Washington, D.C., hotel while at a tournament in October, and their families joined for dinner after a game two years ago between Louisville and Harvard-Westlake.

When Lowen’s father, Richard, passed away in October, 1991, Daws was one of the many friends lending support. She did so with a special empathy, since her own grandfather had died only weeks earlier.

“Every little bit helped, and all the friendships picked her up,” Daws says of Lowen.

As soon as the high school season ends in February, they will play together on an area women’s recreational team.

About the only thing they don’t share is the same high school.

Lowen scored 36 goals last season and led Harvard-Westlake to the Southern Section 1-A Division championship game, a 1-0 overtime loss against Pasadena Poly.

“Whenever Alyze takes the field, she is one of those rare breed of players with the ability to take over the game,” Harvard-Westlake Coach Steve Linhart says. “She’s very creative. At this level, you just don’t see that.”

Daws has 40 goals and 16 assists the past two years for Louisville.

“She’s clearly one of the finest soccer players I’ve ever seen,” Louisville Coach Lee Gautreau says of Daws. “There are players that sometimes you don’t have to coach, that intuitively know what (they have) to do. She’s very special.”

Harvard-Westlake is in its first year in the demanding Mission League, which includes Louisville. Lowen and Daws will play against each other Jan. 15 at Harvard-Westlake and Feb. 10 at Louisville.

“We always joke about it,” Daws said. “It’s going to be weird.”

BOYS

Royal--What’s this? A Royal abdication? The Highlanders (17-2-2, 12-0 in Marmonte League play) lost eight starters from last season’s league-champion team.

“It’s definitely a rebuilding year,” Coach Kevin Corley said.

Senior standouts Ryan Campbell and Jody Riehl are returning starters. Campbell, a forward who has been on the varsity since he was a freshman, scored nine goals and had seven assists last season.

Corley says Riehl, a midfielder who had eight goals and eight assists last season, is the best player in the league.

Juniors Ryan Parker and Sebastian Alvarado and senior Clark Crookshanks also should contribute.

Thousand Oaks--The Lancers are a team on the rise. After three league wins in four years, first-year Coach Rubin Hernandez coaxed Thousand Oaks (14-7-2, 8-5-1) to a third-place Marmonte League finish last season.

Eight starters return, including all-league forward Raja Hawa, who scored a league-leading 17 goals. Last season’s team most valuable player, Ryan Dobbins, is an all-league midfielder and stopper Phil Mages will anchor the defense.

Hernandez says his team should finish in the top three in the league and is optimistic about the Lancers earning their first playoff berth since the early 1980s.

Simi Valley--As did Royal, Simi Valley lost the majority of its starters to graduation. Only four seniors return, though leading scorer Brian Lopez (17 goals) is one of them.

This is Coach Andy Silva’s final season, and he will be coaching his son, Scott, a senior forward.

Senior forward Tevin Nelson and senior defender Mike Barr will be key players. Junior goalie T.J. Saylor is in his first varsity season, but he performed well in a summer tournament in Corvallis, Ore.

Buena--The Bulldogs (11-3-3, 7-3-1 in Channel League play) have eight returning starters, including second-team All-Southern Section forward Juan Melgoza, who has led Buena in scoring the past three seasons.

“I’m very optimistic,” said Coach Sean Roche, who is beginning his 15th season. “It’s one of the better teams we’ve ever had.”

Midfielder Matt Prinz, forward Peter Maione and goalie Gustavo Hurtado are standouts, and the defense will be stabilized by Steven McDonald and Thomas Trigo.

Harvard-Westlake--What does assistant Ned Smith expect of senior forward Dwight Angellini? “Everything and then some,” Smith said.

Angellini, who had 22 goals and 14 assists last season, will have to compensate for the departure of David Moran. Moran (16 goals last season) now plays at Dartmouth and was the Ivy League freshman player of the year.

Smith also wants Angellini to take speedy junior forward Jordan Elias, in particular, and the rest of the team under his wing. “Dwight’s great at bringing along the supporting cast,” Smith said.

Sweeper Griffin Whitney and midfielder Billy Eddy also are keys.

GIRLS

Royal--Eleven players who earned either first- or second-team All-Marmonte League honors, including six seniors, return for the Highlanders (15-5-2, 9-1-1).

“I have so many strong players I don’t know who to brag about,” Coach Monty Berna said. Senior forward Jennifer Evans led Royal with 23 goals and 13 assists last season, and junior forward Amanda Love had 16 goals and six assists.

Midfielder Kelly Adamson scored nine goals last season as a freshman, third highest on the team, and had 11 assists.

“The talent and skill is there,” Berna said. “If we can jell as a unit we have an excellent chance to impress some people this year.”

With so much returning talent, Royal could improve on last season’s second-place league finish and first-round playoff loss.

Oak Park--The Eagles (14-4-2, 10-2) lost three All-Southern Section players to graduation, and top scorer Alessia Bernardini is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery. Bernardini was the team’s leading scorer last season as a freshman with 18 goals.

Senior defender Jen Frank will be moving from forward to defender because of losses on defense. Coach Scott Murray needs her speed on the back line.

Senior Carrie Peterson will stabilize an otherwise young midfield, and Murray said senior Victoria Blint is a top goalkeeper.

La Reina--The Regents (21-2-2, 10-0) have six returning starters, including the Tri-Valley League’s offensive and defensive players of the year, Michele Nuesca and Jenny Brant.

Nuesca, though, suffered torn ligaments in her right ankle and will be out for six weeks. She scored 24 goals and had 12 assists last season.

Brant, the Division IV player of the year last season, scored 12 goals and had 12 assists from her sweeper position. Forward Alicia Moon had 24 goals and eight assists. “I’m expecting big things from this team,” Coach Joe Laraneta said.

Canyon--The Cowboys (15-7-1, 9-0-1 in the Golden League) opened their first year in the Foothill League ranked No. 1 in Division III, but in their second game they lost to Agoura, 5-2. “I don’t like to be ranked No. 1,” Coach Mike Harvey said. “The Foothill league is going to be about 100 times stronger than the Golden league.”

Canyon will be without midfielder Jodie Knott, a clutch player who scored a tying or go-ahead goal with under two minutes remaining five times last season. Knott will miss the season after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery two months ago.

Senior midfielder Cathy Jones, an All-Southern Section selection last season, will try to pick up the slack, as will sophomore forward Cristie Burnett, who has eight goals in three games this season.