On Solid Ground, UCLA’s Toring Is Like a Fish Out of Water

One of UCLA’s top water polo players will miss the rest of the season because of an injury he sustained while . . . walking.

Jim Toring, a sophomore from Simi Valley, broke his left leg Monday night when he tripped exiting a team meeting.

“It was one of those freak things,” Bruin Coach Guy Baker said, “Everyone’s walking out the door, Jimmy trips and several guys fell down. At first, everyone thought he was joking, but it was no joke.”

Toring, a graduate of Harvard-Westlake High, led UCLA with 46 steals, was second with 40 goals and third with 21 assists as a freshman. This season, he has 11 goals for the fifth-ranked Bruins (11-7).

Last summer, Toring played with the U.S. National team at the World Championships in Hungary.

Wanted: Soccer player. Must be female. Experience preferred, but not required.

Interested? Call Robyn Wolfe, Oxnard College’s first-year soccer coach.

When the former Cal State Dominguez Hills All-American took over the women’s program in August, half the team she inherited had junior college experience. That’s the good news.

The bad: There were only four players.

After some scrambling, Wolfe increased the roster to as many as 12 players. Then it fell to its current 10--one short of the minimum allowed to play. One of the 10 had never kicked a soccer ball until she joined the team.

Four games into the season, Oxnard had one tie and three losses.

Then, last week, the Condors defeated Santa Monica, 3-1.

“It’s a big relief,” Wolfe said. “After we scored every goal, I’ve got to say, it was an event.

“Now they know we can win--even with 10 players.”

Ratings game: The Harvard-Westlake water polo team ducks no team.

At the Southern California Invitational last week, Harvard-Westlake (11-2) played three top-ranked teams and another which is likely to be No. 1 soon.

The Wolverines defeated Riverside Poly, the top-ranked team in the Southern Section’s Division V, and beat Clovis West, No. 1 in the Central Section.

Harvard-Westlake lost to Servite, top-ranked in the Southern Section Division II, and Long Beach Wilson, second-ranked (and climbing) in the Southern Section Division I.

“It gets us in the tournament mode early in the season,” Wolverine Coach Rich Corso said. “It’s important for these kids to play big games early.”

Tail of fate: Maybe she was trying to tell the Moorpark College football team that it might as well roll over. Or perhaps that their dreams of a championship were going to the dogs.

Whatever the case, a small stray mutt named Ginger won the hearts of the home fans when Valley College played host to Moorpark last Saturday.

Before the game, the dog trotted onto the field, rolled on the grass near the 50-yard-line, then galloped away.

Valley went on to upset Moorpark, 28-14. Meanwhile, Ginger headed toward campus where--thanks to the soft-hearts that feed her--she has become a fixture.

Quotebook

One-time Superwelterweight contender Pat (Irish Pat) Lawlor, on the prospect of facing undefeated P.J. Goossen in the main event of a Nov. 2 boxing card at the Warner Center Marriott:

“He has half as many fights as me and twice as many knockouts. I’m not taking him lightly.”

Lawlor has a record of 20-5 with six knockouts. Goossen is 12-0 with 11 KOs.

Stats

Before the Simi Valley football bandwagon gets too crowded, consider this about the Pioneers’ 5-0-1 start: Their opponents have a combined record of 9-25-2 and their three Marmonte League victories are against teams that are a combined 0-9 in league play.

Points aplenty: Watch out for Hart High’s top-ranked football team in the second and third quarters. The Indians have outscored their opponents, 146-18, during that 24-minute stretch.

To the max: The Northridge women’s volleyball team (11-7) has played in seven five-game matches this season, one short of the school record of eight set in 1991.

Stone deadly: In only her second season playing for the Northridge women’s volleyball team after transferring from Colorado State, outside hitter Aimee Stone ranks eighth on the Matadors’ all-time kills list with 741. Stone is 22 kills shy of No. 7 Sue Darcey, who played in 1986 and ‘87, and 41 behind No. 6 Alissa Evans, who played from 1986-89.

Honors

Junior receiver David Romines, who is averaging a team-best 19.6 yards per catch for Northridge’s football team, caught five passes for 77 yards against St. Mary’s and was selected team offensive player of the week. Junior linebacker Joe Pierro, who made eight tackles, was the coaches’ choice on defense. Richard Pesti, Ilka Laine and Mike Greslie shared the special-teams award.

Things to Do

Out of town: Today, 4 p.m., at Whittier College: Cal Lutheran plays Whittier in women’s soccer. The last time the teams met, Regal forward Jill Gallegos scored five goals, tying a school record set by Rachel Wackerman in 1992 against Whittier.

The Registrar

Who: Men’s volleyball players. What: Six-man tournament. When and where: Antelope Valley College gymnasium, Oct. 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. Telephone registration by Oct. 20. Call 805-943-3241, ext. 207 days; 805-943-4739 nights. Cost: $60 per team.

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Compiled by Mike Hiserman. Contributing: Dave Desmond, Fernando Dominguez, Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher and John Ortega.