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  • Aliso Niguel's Tatia Dumbadse, left, makes a pass with Mission...

    Aliso Niguel's Tatia Dumbadse, left, makes a pass with Mission Viejo's Delany Lindahl close on defense during Thursday's match at Mission Viejo High

  • Mission Viejo's Delany Lindahl, left, and Aliso Niguel's Lauren Miller...

    Mission Viejo's Delany Lindahl, left, and Aliso Niguel's Lauren Miller race for the ball during Thursday's match at Mission Viejo High.

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MISSION VIEJO- Opening South Coast League play on the heels of a disappointing end to the preseason, a big second half effort helped propel No. 8 Aliso Niguel to a much-needed victory.

Katie Saavedra, Lauren Miller, and Tatia Dumbadse each tallied a goal in the second half, as the visiting Wolverines blanked No. 5 Mission Viejo, 3-0, on Thursday.

Aliso Niguel (7-3-1, 1-0) snapped a three match winless streak during which they did not score a goal.

The loss snapped Mission Viejo’s four match unbeaten streak. The Diablos (7-3-3, 0-1) entered the match ranked No. 5 in the latest CIF-SS Division 1 poll.

“We got back to playing very well collectively and found a way to win,” Wolverines coach Randy Dodge said. “Every game in this league counts and this was a huge win for us to get on the road.”

Both teams withstood scoring opportunities throughout a competitive, but scoreless first 40 minutes.

Wolverines goalie Alyssa Noh produced five of her six saves in the first half, including back-to-back saves in the 36th and 37th minutes on shots by Diablos forward Kiana Palacios.

Aliso Niguel nearly took the lead in the 46th minute, as Saavedra produced a shot that was saved on full-extended lung by Diablos’ goalie Janet Reyes. Reyes (seven saves in the match) was inadvertently bumped into on the play, landed hard on her back, and was forced to leave the match for a brief period.

The Wolverines capitalized on her absence with two goals.

In the 52nd minute, Sarah Roberts served a free kick into the middle of the box that Saavedra leaped up and headed into the back of the net to give Aliso Niguel a 1-0 lead.

“We actually worked on that in practice and I was able to time it really well,” Saavedra said. “That goal set the tone for the rest of the game and we were able to build on to it.”

Miller made it a two-goal advantage two minutes later. Tracking down a through ball, she chipped a shot in the box that skimmed off the post and into the goal.   

“I knew they had a goalie change and it was something I wanted to try and capitalize on,” Miller said. “My shot was a little rough, but it went in.”   

She admitted that the last couple weeks hadn’t been easy for the Wolverines, but that a strong effort to start league went a long way toward putting the preseason struggles behind them.    

“It hasn’t been fun playing these last few games and having nothing go our way,” Miller said. “We hadn’t scored in a long time, so to come out in the first game of league and score was refreshing and important for us moving forward.”   

Dumbadse capped the Wolverines’ second half scoring outbreak in the 72nd minute, as she rebounded a lunging save that Reyes couldn’t fully control and tapped the ball back into the net.   

After the match, Mission Viejo coach Susie Daher stressed to her team the importance of having a short memory with seven league matches remaining on the schedule.   

“I told the girls that adversity happens and we just have to learn how to not have breakdowns,” Daher said. “They (Aliso Niguel) pounded us, worked fast, and their transition was good.”

“We did a lot of good things and now we have to move on and win our next match.”