Rivera, Lindstrom to Take a Dip in National Pool

Santa Margarita junior Katie Rivera and Aliso Niguel sophomore Stacy Lindstrom were among 32 players named last week to the women’s under-19 national soccer pool. Selected from the current under-17 pool, these players are being prepared to play in the 2002 FIFA U19 World Cup.

During the next two years, this pool will be reduced to fill the 18 roster spots available for the World Cup team.

The selections don’t come as a complete surprise for Rivera or Lindstrom, each of whom is a member of the So Cal Blues club in San Juan Capistrano. Lindstrom competed for the national under-18 team in the Albena Cup in Bulgaria, where they finished second in April. Rivera has played for the national under-16 squad against teams from Australia, China and Japan at a tournament in Texas.

Also announced last week: Santa Margarita’s Shannon Foley and Lindstrom were selected to the under-16 Olympic Development interregional national pool.

COMMITMENTS

Several county players have committed to play soccer for Division I colleges next season.

Kristen Moore (Capistrano Valley) and Lindsey Huie (Mission Viejo) will play at Portland. Ashley Casas (Capistrano Valley) is headed to USC and Kendal Billingsley (Mission Viejo) to UCLA. Julie Scheppele (Fountain Valley) will attend UC Irvine, while Jenny Anderson (Santa Margarita) is going to Clemson, Jen Thais (Mission Viejo) to Colorado and Marisa Galvan (Santa Margarita) to Rice.

LOOKING AHEAD

With some traffic-signal luck, soccer fans can catch two enticing games today. Seventh-ranked Santa Margarita (3-1-1), which had to settle for a tie against eighth-ranked Woodbridge (3-1-2) last week, will host third-ranked Mission Viejo (2-0-3) at 3 p.m. Across the freeway, top-ranked Aliso Niguel (7-0-1) hosts fifth-ranked San Clemente (3-0-2) at 5 p.m.

Fourth-ranked Esperanza (4-0-4) will be tested when the Aztecs play in the Ventura Buena tournament starting Wednesday. The Aztecs ended Buena’s 36-game winning streak in the Mater Dei tournament last week, when the teams played to a 3-3 tie.

LOOKING AHEAD II

Some of the best soccer teams in California are preparing for the 11th Excalibur tournament, Dec. 27-29 at Foothill High.

Six of the county’s top 10 teams, and several teams on the bubble, as well as top teams from San Diego and Northern California will compete in the three-day tournament for the right to take home the Excalibur sword.

The 32-team bracket features two Southern Section champions: Capistrano Valley in Division I and West Hills Chaminade, the four-time Division IV champion. A meeting between the two in the quarterfinals is possible. Capistrano Valley (4-1) is the tournament’s two-time defending champion. The Cougars defeated Woodbridge, 2-0, in last year’s final.

Aliso Niguel and Mission Viejo appear headed for a second-round matchup. The teams met in last week’s Mater Dei tournament and played to a scoreless tie. San Clemente could await the winner in the quarterfinals.

Woodbridge, a Division II semifinalist, has Division I runner-up Claremont and Division II runner-up Torrance Bishop Montgomery in its quarter of the bracket. Santa Margarita, a Division II semifinalist, has the two-time defending champion of the Central Coast Section, San Jose Archbishop Mitty, and San Diego University to contend with. University has appeared in the last 11 San Diego Section finals, winning consecutive titles from 1991-98.

“This is going to be a crazy season,” Capistrano Valley Coach Jack Peterson said. “I don’t see any of the county’s top 10 having less than two losses. If anyone can come away at the end of league with just one loss, they will definitely be the best team in the county.”

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. Dec. 27 and concludes with the title game at 2:10 p.m. on Dec. 29.

If you have an item or idea for the high school girls’ soccer report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us as melanie.neff@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

GIRLS’ SOCCER TOP 10

Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll

*--*

Pos. School (League) Rec 1. Aliso Niguel (Sea View) 7-0-1 2. Capistrano Valley (South Coast) 4-1 3. Mission Viejo (South Coast) 2-0-3 4. Esperanza (Sunset) 4-0-4 5. San Clemente (South Coast) 3-0-2 6. Corona del Mar (Pacific Coast) 7-1-1 7. Santa Margarita (Serra) 3-1-1 8. Woodbridge (Sea View) 3-1-2 9. Sunny Hills (Freeway) 7-0 10. Edison (Sunset) 7-1-2

*--*