My new favorite pastime (this week)

Tony Altobelli

Answer: Watching paint dry, a baseball rain delay and Barry

Manilow.

Question: Name three things more exciting than soccer?

That was my mentality before I started at this little temple of local

sports information.

Even after two years, my respect for the game has rapidly increased,

there are still more exciting things I’d rather do, especially when the

weather is less than nifty and especially when the game is out in North

Hollywood.

That was until I witnessed Mud Bowl-2001.

The Mud Bowl pitted Corona del Mar High, the best team in CIF Southern

Section Division IV and Harvard-Westlake, the best team money can buy.

The field had the appeal of moldy bread and the traction of a

Minnesota roadway in mid-January.

But, the girls played on anyway. After both teams dipped their toes

(and the rest of their appendages) in the mud, CdM got busy.

CdM senior Jaycee Mahler, the winner of the most trips into the gunk,

kept her footing for more than 10 seconds and streaked up the field. The

Sea Kings took advantage of some Wolverines’ clumsiness when Molly

O’Meara sent a perfect shot into the upper-right corner of the goal and

CdM led, 1-0.

Before you could say, “Can you hand me a towel?” It was 1-1. On the

very next touch of the ball, a quick jaunt up the field, a free kick and

a deflection later, Harvard-Westlake tied the game among the slipping and

sliding bodies.

How focused was Coach Ron Evans? A sliding Wolverines’ player nearly

sent the skipper, his crutches and his broken leg into the mud. His

reaction? “I’m just glad we got the ball.”

CdM had chances to regain the lead in the first half, but could not

convert. Meanwhile, Harvard-Westlake fed off its game-tying goal and

started to gain momentum.

But Britta Vogele wouldn’t have any of it. The CdM senior goalkeeper

was all over the place, stopping wave after wave of Harvard-Westlake

scoring opportunities. Even the Grade-A shots that are supposed to sneak

into corners of the goal were denied by the University of Iowa-bound

standout.

She did get a ton of help from the Sea Kings’ teammates Alison

Brawner and Natalia Dorfman.

After a Wolverines’ shot bounded over Vogele, Brawner, with

exceptional creativity, headed the ball out of harm’s way.

On numerous occasions, Dorfman prevented Harvard-Westlake breakaways

with solid defensive work, keeping the game tied after regulation.

Two big saves by Vogele kept the game tied after the first 10-minute

overtime. She followed that with three even better saves in the second

OT.

It soon became apparent that a fluky goal was going to decide this

game and sure enough, that’s what happened. Among a mass of muddy, sweaty

teenagers, a corner kick attempt was deflected into the net and the game

came to a sudden end.

Never has the term “sudden death” had so much meaning.

The game had players playing thoughout tremendous amounts of pain like

Allison Harvey and Margit Vogele as well as players putting on a soccer

clinic like Jaycee Mahler.

Needless to say, my opinions of soccer have changed dramatically and

despite the severely muddy shoes and the near three-hour drive back from

Hollywood, it will be a game I’ll remember for quite a while.