No. 1 Diablos Tie No. 3 Cougars as McCarty Answers the Call

Mission Viejo’s Nicole McCarty didn’t know about it until Saturday morning.

“Coach called me at 10:30 a.m. and said ‘McCarty, you better be prepared, because you’re starting in goal today,’ ” McCarty said of her conversation with Diablo Coach Susie Daher. “I thought she was calling me to tell me the game was canceled or something.”

McCarty usually plays defense for the top-ranked Diablos, but she didn’t miss a beat stepping in for flu-ridden starter Katie Wright on Saturday, making six saves to preserve a 0-0 South Coast League tie with No. 3 Capistrano Valley at Mission Viejo.

It was the first action McCarty had seen in goal this year, after playing some last season, but she still made some clutch saves.

“Once I got the first save out of the way, it all came back to me,” McCarty said. “It was just like old times.”

The senior’s two biggest saves came in the second half, stopping the Cougars’ Alison Vislay on a 20-yard direct kick early in the half and later making a diving stop of a Kristen Moore shot at the 64-minute mark.

With the tie, the Diablos (12-1-5, 5-0-2) took control of the South Coast League race, which Capistrano Valley has won the last four seasons.

“We can’t look past anybody in this league,” Daher said. “We still have to play [No. 9] El Toro, and that’s going to be huge. Of course I’m not that excited about a tie, but to get it against Capo is huge.”

Because of rain, both teams had to play four games in seven days, including two against each other. Mission Viejo beat the Cougars, 1-0, last Saturday, and finished with a 2-0-2 record for the week.

Capistrano Valley fell to third place after going 1-1-2 this week.

“I think playing all these games is good for us,” Capistrano Valley Coach Jack Peterson said. “It’s not that we’re not playing bad at all, we’re just not scoring. This league is a killer, and our strengths are Mission’s strengths, so it’s a war every time out there.”

Goalkeeper Staci Sinkway made four saves for the Cougars (11-2-5, 3-1-3).

In other league games:

Dana Hills 1, Trabuco Hills 0--Lauren Williams scored in the 56th minute off an assist from Joanna Irwin to win it for host Dana Hills (8-10-3, 2-4-1). Goalkeeper Katie Shields got her ninth shutout by making three saves.

No. 9 El Toro 3, San Clemente 1--Michelle Gleason, Nicole Imech and Jennae Welch had goals for visiting El Toro (19-6-1, 5-2), which takes over second place.

Kristen Moore scored for San Clemente (7-5-7, 0-2-5).