They’re a Goalie’s Worst Nightmare

Capistrano Valley has what many coaches say is the best individual talent in the county this season, particularly the juniors and seniors who pack the Cougars’ middle.

Seniors Megan Abbamonto, Lindsay Greco, Janelle Hillseth and Haleigh Roach and juniors Ashley Casas, Coco D’Angelo and Kristen Moore comprise a group of interchangeable forwards and midfielders in the county’s most feared front line.

While the top teams average 10 to 15 shots a game, the second-ranked Cougars are averaging more than 25--and they’re legitimate shots, not slow rollers or blasts 10 feet over the crossbar.

In only six games, Capistrano Valley has taken 143 shots and scored 15 goals.

Opposing goalies have recorded 62 saves, and those are earned saves, not punch-outs on crossing passes or saves on balls that wouldn’t have reached the net anyway.

Against No. 10 Mater Dei, Capistrano Valley took 24 shots at goalkeeper Kim Boortz. The Cougars won the game, 1-0. Boortz had 10 saves.

“Being in the goal against Capo Valley is a completely different experience than playing most teams,” said Boortz, a junior. “It requires you to be in your zone 100% of the time and play aggressively. There really isn’t time to think in those situations. When the game was finally over, I was exhausted and hyped.”

But even though most coaches emphatically say Capistrano Valley is the best team in the county, if not the Southern Section, the Cougars have tasted defeat, a 1-0 loss to Aliso Niguel in the Mater Dei tournament. However, even Wolverine Coach Randy Dodge gives the Cougars the nod.

“I have never been so dominated in a game and won,” Dodge said. “They took 25 shots to our two. But one of ours went in.”

Wolverine goalkeeper Taryn Acosta had 10 saves in that contest.

Capistrano Valley followed the loss by taking out its frustrations on Santa Margarita, which was No. 1 in the county at the time. In the 2-0 victory, the Cougars launched 31 shots.Eagle goalkeepers Lauren Kent and Julie Peterson combined for 12 saves.

Kent, who worked the first half, picked up nine saves as the Cougars slammed shots right at her. Unfortunately for Peterson, who played the second half, Capistrano Valley began to find its mark, scoring both goals. It would have had more, but Peterson made two spectacular saves, just tipping one bullet to deflect it over the crossbar and diving to her left to knock away a close-range blast.

“We knew going in the caliber of players they have,” said Peterson, a junior. “We expected them to get off a lot of shots because their middle is absolutely incredible.”

One team that may disagree with the majority, and will get at least two chances to prove its point, is top-ranked Mission Viejo (8-0), a South Coast League rival. Both the Diablos and Cougars have beaten Santa Margarita, Mater Dei and Arcadia. The opposing goalkeepers in each of those games said Capistrano Valley (5-1) is the team to beat.

“Definitely,” Arcadia goalkeeper Darci Carruthers said. “They have a dominating attack.”

Peterson, Kent and Boortz echoed those sentiments.

“Capo is definitely the best team in the county,” Kent said.

Said Boortz: “If they were a premier club, they would be among the best. Playing teams like Capo, with shots flying and your adrenaline surging, is why I play in the goal.”

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