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Damian Dottore. Sports. HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

With two freshmen and only three returning lettermen in the lineup, Santa Margarita didn’t have the most experienced group playing in Wednesday’s Aliso Cup pool play match at Yorba Linda High.

But during fall practice, Coach Wade Fraser kept reminding the Eagles that they don’t have to be filled with varsity veterans to achieve success. If they stay organized and keep the work rate up, the results will follow.

“That has been the theme for us. Game by game we will grow,” Fraser said. “It is going to be a lot different for us this year, we lost everybody. So this was huge for us.”

The No. 3 Eagles beat Yorba Linda, 3-0, in their season opener, getting the winning goal from one of their freshmen, Michael Falino, whose shot from about 20 yards out deflected in off the far post in the 15th minute.

Santa Margarita added its other two goals off set pieces within a minute of each other in the second half.

Riley Domier extended the Eagles lead to 2-0 in the 58th minute leaping high to flick a free kick over Yorba Linda junior goal keeper Justin Fitch as he tried to punch the ball away. Then in the 59th minute, Nick Furbish tapped in a rebound after Fitch stopped a Jonathan Stoop free kick with his chest.

“We just have to stay organized and things will fall into place. That is how it’s going to be this year,” Fraser said. “Hopefully, we will be going full throttle by our third game.”

By then, Fraser said he should have Jake Fisher back in the lineup. Fisher, who ranked third in the county last season with 26 goals, sat out Wednesday game with an injury.

“We are taking it slow with him,” Fraser said. “We don’t want to bring him back and then have him at 75 percent the whole year.”

Santa Margarita didn’t give the Mustangs (0-1) many good looks at the goal with Yorba Linda’s best scoring chances coming in the first half when Andrew Dirks made runs toward the left corner. In the 23rd minute, Dirks took a shot at the goal from just outside the 18-yard line, but it curled just wide of the near post.

In another Aliso Cup matches:

No. 7 JSerra 3, Laguna Hills 1: Ivan Canales scored three goals, each coming off an assist from Julian Font, to lead the visiting Lions (1-0) in a pool play match.

Santiago 2, Los Alamitos 1: David Yepez finished with a goal and an assist to lead the visiting Cavaliers (1-0) in a pool play match.

Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com