SOCCER ROUNDUP : El Toro Sails to Victory

Coaches and players expected the Capistrano Valley field would be muddy for Thursday’s South Coast League girls’ soccer game between El Toro and Capistrano Valley.

But the field conditions, which were good despite heavy rains the night before, were the least of Capistrano Valley’s problems. Second-ranked El Toro defeated the third-ranked Cougars, 3-1.

“I thought the field was in great shape for that amount of rain,” El Toro Coach Kerry Krause said. “Tuesday, at Dana Hills (where El Toro played the Dolphins to a 0-0 tie), it was awful. It was the worst field conditions I’ve seen in 10 years.”

Thursday, El Toro (11-1-2, 1-0-1 in league) scored eight minutes into the game, when Denise Kenyon fed Sherri Kaminski, who beat goalkeeper Stefanie Jackel (13 saves).

Trailing 2-0, Capistrano Valley (13-4-2, 1-2) scored 20 minutes into the second half. The Cougars brought the ball into El Toro territory and passed to captain Kim Thompson, who booted a high kick from 20 yards out over the hands of goalkeeper Traci Jensen, who made five saves. It was the first goal El Toro has allowed in five games.

Four minutes later, Shannon Quinn sent a direct kick past Jackel, giving El Toro a 3-1 lead.

Kenyon scored El Toro’s second goal and had two assists.