LAS FLORES – Attack after attack, shot after shot Tesoro came with, the percentages slowly turning its way Tuesday afternoon. San Clemente goalie Hannah Turpen did her best to deflect the odds, denying all but one attempt.
Until freshman Kendall Romine’s right footer had the right touch, finding nylon far post midway through the second half from 12 yards out. It gave the No. 3 Titans a 1-0 victory in South Coast League play, where Tesoro remained perfect this season (2-0). The No. 6 Tritons and defending champs fell to 1-1.
“We were proud of the way the team played,” San Clemente co-coach Stacy Finnerty said. “I think our girls are unaware of how good they can be.”
Though they didn’t find net, the Tritons received a glimpse of their capabilities after falling behind a goal. Their attacks, missing for much of the contest, became constant in the closing minutes.
“It’s definitely the one thing we want to do is start the game with that level of play,” Finnerty said.
Instead, it was Tesoro who was the aggressor early, making it a busy night on Turpen. The Titans had three scoring opportunities in the first 10 minutes. The best came from Taylor Ziencina, whose heated shot was deflected over the crossbar by Turpen. It was one of several close calls Turpen avoided.
“We were very happy (with Turpen),” assistant coach Shayla Sabin said. “She came up big when we needed her to. If it wasn’t for her, they would have scored a lot more.”
Turpen said getting an early save helps her settle into a rhythm.
“You get into that zone,” she said. “It’s fun to have action.”
San Clemente was looking for theirs, but it was tough to come by early. The Tritons had a chance off a free kick in the first half, but the entry was tipped away by the Titans goalie Emily Hart.
It wasn’t until they gave up a goal that San Clemente started pressuring with regularity. They received a clean look at a goal off a cross by Kelli Cornell, who set Greer Zerboni up in front of net. Zerboni’s shot was sent directly at Hart, who controlled and cleared it.
Moments later, Tanya Emerson let a left footer fly while slipping and that too was stopped by Hart. Emerson let another shot go after that, but it was deflected away by a Titans defender.
“The girls saw that they can start to do this,” Finnerty said.
It’s why, despite the loss, the Tritons were pleased with their effort. They didn’t play at the top of their game, yet hung in with one of the best teams in Orange County. The Tritons are expecting the momentum they built late to carry into today’s match against Mission Viejo, who is ranked No. 4 in the county and lost, 3-2, to Tesoro last Thursday.
“The girls learned they are better than we thought,” Finnerty said.
She was quick not to take anything away from Tesoro, who also beat the Tritons 1-0 in tournament play earlier this season.
“They’re physical,” she said. “They’re taller and bigger. And they play in the air more than we thought.”
The game was physical. Players from both sides could been seen limping off the field with injuries. San Clemente’s Brianna Wright suffered one to her right thigh and Kelli Cornell hurt her ankle. Cornell returned. Wright tried, but sat out most of the second half.
Though bruised, beaten, the Tritons weren’t deflated.
“We worked really hard,” Turpen said. “Next time we will get it done. We know what to expect.
“It was a really good game. We can’t go away from it with our heads down.”
Contact the writer: ctobolski@ocregister.com or 949-492-3943