Pink soccer team near perfect in final victory

The Laguna Pink girls’ soccer team capped an undefeated AYSO league season and won the girls’ Under-10 division title Saturday by blanking Mission Viejo.

Laguna won the match, 3-0, scoring all three goals in the second half on a foggy field at Thurston Middle School.

The Pink finished division play with an 8-0-2 record. The Spring Select champs competed with 10 other south county teams from Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo, in the division.

“What an amazing season,” Coach Wendi Dvorak said. “Such a talented group of girls.”

Assistant coach Todd Thornton agreed. “These girls were just a joy to be around,” he said. “I’m going to miss them.”

In boys’ soccer

Under-12 Division

The Laguna Beach Blue Strikers played gave undefeated Laguna Hills all it could handle but dropped a 5-4 decision in their final game of the Spring Select soccer season.

The Strikers ended the spring season in second place in their division with a 4-3 record.

Laguna Beach took an early lead on a quick goal by James Yorke. Following an equalizing goal by the Hawks, the Strikers struck for consecutive goals by Andrei Kvitsinski, one coming on an impressive assist by Derek Strombotne, to pull out to a 3-1 halftime lead.

Ricky Coury, Taylor Davidson and Nathaniel Colburn also made key contributions on offense for the Strikers in the first half.

Laguna Hills regained the lead for good, 5-3, by scoring four goals in the third quarter, one by penalty kick. But the Strikers refused to fold.

The defensive efforts of Owen Weber, John-Paul Wollam, Morgan Lebby and Cameron Hauer, helped goalies Bryce Williamson and Colburn keep the Hawks scoreless in the fourth quarter.

The Strikers scored their final goal on a strong shot by Strombotne with the assist going to Hauer.

Laguna’s offense was charging downfield on a fastbreak in the closing seconds, but time ran out before it could get a shot off.

The Strikers, coached by Dion Strombotne and Peter Freeman, also received contributions throughout the season from Brett Dunlavey, Traer Freeman, Casey Kimball, Jake Kunkel and Ben Polins-Jones.

“Our team did not have a most valuable player — we had an entire team of MVPs,” Strombotne said.