Prestegard’s Late Goal Gives Red Team Victory

Edison’s Heidi Prestegard slid a shot into the corner of the goal with two minutes left in the game to give the Red team a 2-1 victory over the Navy team in the Orange County Girls’ Soccer Coaches Assn. Senior Classic Monday night at Chapman.

Prestegard, a Times all-county second-team selection, took the ball in front of the goal and sailed it away from Los Alamitos goalkeeper Jenny Willemse, who had no chance.

Mission Viejo Coach George Larsen led the Red team and named Prestegard the most valuable player.

Mission Viejo’s Sarah Higham gave the Red team a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the second half, when she slammed a ball from 15 yards that deflected off Esperanza defender Amy Maloney’s foot and into the goal.

Higham, a Times second-team selection, was playing her third game of the day, along with six other all-stars, who are all members of the So Cal Blues club team. The Blues competed in two games in the morning in the San Diego Nomads tournament, came away with the title and returned to Orange County to play in the all-star game.

The weariness didn’t show, as Los Alamitos’ Carrie Hawkins, also a member of the Blues, tied the score, 1-1, for Navy with just over four minutes left in the game.

Esperanza’s Caitlin Murphy touched a pass to Hawkins, who kicked it into the corner of the goal from 20 yards. Hawkins and Murphy were second-team all-county picks.

The Times Orange County player of the year, Kim Abbamonto, was absent from the game. A member of the Blues, Abbamonto hurt her ankle in the tournament and was unable to play.

Sonora’s Harmoni McDaniel was named MVP of the Blue team by Coach Chuck Morales.