Youth girls soccer: Mesa shows what’s in a name

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Pat Murphy, coach of the Costa Mesa Intrepid, a girls

under-12 team, realized he had unique players since the squad formed in

September, so he gave each one a nickname.

His midfielders, Melissa Murphy, Samantha Field and Morgan Jones, go

by “Fire,” “Thunder” and “Lightning,” respectively. They lived up to

their nicknames on defense and Emily “Tornado” Leece’s goal was the

difference in the Intrepid’s 1-0 win over the San Juan Capistrano Ice

Saturday, at the Costa Mesa Farm Field.

Costa Mesa’s midfielder trio supplied solid defense and combined to

perhaps create another name as a group: The Lifesavers.

“They kept (the defensive pressure) up,” Coach Murphy said. “Without

them we’re dead.”

Pat Murphy also pointed out Rebecca “Nails” Hamilton, who took

advantage of the coach’s assignment of each player guarding one San Juan

Capistrano player. Hamilton put the clamps on Adrienne Baker, while the

Intrepid, of AYSO Region 120, produced a shutout to earn one extra point

with its six-point win, improving to 3-1-1 in the spring select season.

“The defense played awesome,” Pat Murphy said. “They played us hard

with a man-to-man and I wasn’t expecting that.”

The Ice’s surprise attack resulted in a scoreless first half, which

featured defensive prowess from both teams. Goalies Samantha Jensen and

Natalie Olivieri traded duty at the net to combine for four saves for San

Juan Capistrano, of Region 87. The duo duplicated the effort in the

second half.

Costa Mesa’s Ashley “Slingshot” Silletto played goalie in the first

half and she made two key saves when she slapped away two of Olivieri’s

shots in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Jones ended an Ice threat when she stole the

ball on a corner kick. San Juan Capistrano returned the favor when Claire

Wiltse stole a Costa Mesa corner kick.

Six minutes into the second half, Leece found the net when she sent a

shot with a wild touch that the Ice goalie got a hand on but it dribbled

past her.

Alisha “Speed” Smith moved to goalie for the Intrepid in the second

half and she also lived up to her nickname, leaving the net to kick a

threat away and checked a San Juan Capistrano player to the ground.

The Intrepid (an adjective that means fearless) protected its 1-0 lead

with frequent attacks to the Ice’s net in the fourth quarter. Melissa

Murphy fired a shot from 25 yards out that nearly found its way for a

goal. Field blasted two shots, while Brianna “Braids” Vanderwal almost

kicked one in.

After the game, Costa Mesa’s parents and other family members formed a

line for the Intrepid’s players to slap high-fives. The fans also had

another treat. They cracked Easter eggs on the player’s heads.

Girls Under-12

The Costa Mesa Intrepid

Region 120

41 Samantha “Thunder” Field

20 Sharon “Piranha” Frazier

18 Rebecca “Nails” Hamilton

24 Julie “Squeakers” Hubbard

30 Morgan “Lightning” Jones

31 Emily “Tornado” Leece

26 Mikyla “Tiger Shark” Lux

25 Melissa “Fire” Murphy

28 Ashley “Slingshot” Silletto

19 Alisha “Speed” Smith

21 Adriana “Raven” Triana

22 Brianna “Braids” Vanderwal

23 Avery “Bulldog” Williams

Coach: Pat Murphy

Assistant Coaches: Dave Williams and Pete Triana

The San Juan Capistrano Ice

Region 87

2 Claire Wiltse

3 Natalie Olivieri

4 Nya Boland

5 Sarah Bunic

6 Jenna Lambert

7 Whitney Borchard

8 Cristina Landeros

9 Jessie Garcia

10 Kelsey Porter 11 Hannah Morgan 12 Kimmy Lonn

13 Adrienne Baker

14 Monica Williams

15 Samantha Jensen

Coach: Luis Landeros

Assistant Coach: J.C. Olivieri