Cougars Win Game, but They’re Losing Top Player

Tenth-ranked Capistrano Valley survived a scare from San Clemente in Friday’s South Coast League boys’ soccer opener, defeating the visiting Tritons, 2-1, on a penalty kick by Brent Barnes in the 65th minute.

Whether the Cougars can survive the impending departure of sophomore midfielder Jordan Harvey is another matter.

Harvey, who didn’t score but had one header glance off a post and had two more blasts batted away by San Clemente keeper Anthony Napolitano, is leaving next weekend for the under-17 national team’s residency program in Florida. He won’t return until January of his senior year.

What will the Cougars (11-3-4, 1-0) do without him? Depends on whom you ask.

“It’s going to be tough and different,” said sophomore striker Garrett Petry. “We’re losing a great player and a great guy.”

Senior Sean Caplan, who gave Capistrano Valley a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute with a tip-in of Robert Boyd’s shot, was more optimistic.

“We’ll fill in the holes,” he said. “We have a good bond, a good unit.”

Capistrano Valley Coach Ron Willms agreed.

“We know we can fill in,” he said. “We have great confidence. Jordan is a great player, a hard worker. We’re going to lose a step, but not a whole flight of stairs.”

With Harvey available for only two more games, a home-field tie with San Clemente (8-6-1, 0-1) would have been tough to take, especially since the Cougars outshot the Tritons, 14-4. The tie was avoided when a San Clemente defender fouled Petry in the penalty box.

“He was trying to push me off the ball,” Petry said. “He tried to outmuscle me. I thought it was a good call.”

Barnes easily beat goalkeeper Nick Viejo-Bueno, who replaced Napolitano midway through the second half. San Clemente tied it 1-1 in the 53rd minute on Kris Winrich’s penalty kick, which was set up by Harvey’s foul in the penalty box.