With All Hands on Deck, Aliso Niguel Sinks Laguna Hills

Aliso Niguel Coach Randy Dodge has been waiting all season for the return of his injured front line. He now has all the players back, and while some are still not at full strength, their impact was the key to the fifth-ranked Wolverines’ 2-0 victory over No. 10 Laguna Hills in a Sea View League girls’ soccer game Thursday at Aliso Niguel.

Forwards Kim Devine and Tessa Baker and midfielder Stacy Lindstrom, who missed most of the Wolverines’ nonleague games with injuries, were unstoppable, hammering Laguna Hills goalkeeper Jamie Lautenschlager with 15 of Aliso Niguel’s 21 shots.

It was Lindstrom, a freshman, who capitalized first, scoring 23 minutes into the game. Raleigh Coakley crossed the ball to Lindstrom, who placed it perfectly into the corner, out of reach of a diving Lautenschlager.

The Hawk defense did a good job the remainder of the half, holding back the Wolverines’ pressure, but Laguna Hills was unable to muster any offense, taking only four shots in the game, all from long distance.

In the second half, things got worse for Lautenschlager. Devine put six shots on goal, two that tested the goalkeeper’s limits.

On a throw-in, Devine slammed a header at the goal. The force of the shot caused Lautenschlager to drop the ball, but she recovered to make the save. Devine followed moments later with a blast from the side of the goal; Lautenschlager dove and tipped it out of the goal for one of her 11 saves.

“We knew they were going to take a lot of shots,” Laguna Hills Coach Kevin Macare said. “[Lautenschlager] did a great job, but she always does.”

Devine also helped set up the Wolverines’ final goal, dribbling the ball around three defenders and bringing it directly in front of the goal. Her shot was deflected, and after a scramble in front of the net, Lautenschlager was screened and Baker sent a shot into the corner.

The game paired last season’s Pacific Coast League co-champions.

“This is a really big game for the girls,” Dodge said. “These schools are only four miles apart and these kids play on club teams together and they see each other around town. So we really wanted this one.”