Soccer: Kaiser’s Ingalls takes a bow

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - It was a beautiful day for a wedding Saturday with

sunshine, a cool breeze and a perfect 72-degree temperature.

The trouble, however, for the Kaiser boys third- and fourth-grade

soccer team, was that standout center forward Danny Ingalls had a

conflict with a couple saying “I do.”

But, after the ceremony, his parents hustled to the Farm Field, and,

when Ingalls arrived just in time for the game, his teammates tackled him

and jumped on him with utter joy.

“(Ingalls) wasn’t supposed to be here for the game; he was supposed to

be at a wedding,” Kaiser Coach Leisha Mello said. “I was begging his

parents to get him here and he actually arrived.”

In Saturday’s quarterfinals against Lincoln in the Pilot Cup, Ingalls

didn’t waste any time making a difference, kicking in the lone goal in

the fourth minute as Kaiser advanced to today’s semifinals with a 1-0

win.

“I told his parents, if the wedding’s out of town, have him stay at my

house,” added Mello, a vocal, high-spirited type with enthusiasm

overflowing on the sidelines on which she walks. “I’ll open up my house

to any of those kids if it’ll keep them in soccer.”

Kaiser, which will play Andersen today in the semifinals, jumped ahead

quickly when Ingalls booted in a rebound shot, after Matt Mello’s attempt

kissed the left post.

Lincoln, however, outshot Kaiser in the first half, 7-3. At one point

in the first half, Lincoln center midfielder Sebastien Welch was knocked

out for about 20 seconds and Kaiser players came over to offer water once

he the bells stopped ringing in his head.

“The Kaiser kids have a lot of class,” said Lincoln Coach Frederick

Welch, whose team peppered Kaiser goalkeeper Wes Shaw, but Shaw was up to

the challenge and recorded 15 saves to preserve the shutout.

“The whole time (Shaw) saved us,” Leisha Mello said. “He was working

hard. He said he was bored in the other game, so it gave him something to

do in this game.”

Right forward Bobby Okvist and Jay Ordaz played solid for Kaiser,

which has won four straight in the Cup and believes it can go all the

way.

“We can do it if the guys try hard enough,” Mello said.

Lincoln goalkeeper Tyler Kring finished with nine saves, while right

forward Nick Gooding attempted several shots. Center striker Reed

Williams and right midfielder Nick Taormina played well in the field for

Lincoln, which attempted 17 shots on goal in the second half.

“Their goalie’s outstanding,” Welch said of Shaw.