Daily Pilot Soccer Cup: Work never ends for McIntosh

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - There is so much work to be done for Daily Pilot

Soccer Cup tournament director Kirk McIntosh, it’s a wonder he found a

time to coach his Kaiser (No. 3) fifth and sixth grade girls team.

Yet, perhaps, that was the most easiest “chore” of the day as his

girls cruised to a 5-0 victory over Newport Elementary at the Costa Mesa

Farm Field Thursday.

McIntosh said his team is made of the same girls who won the third-

and fourth-grade title last year. He said they claimed the championship

with ease as they were never challenged and, just as they did Thursday,

they played keep-away throughout most of the contest.

Kaiser used five different scorers to earn the victory.

Alesha Young began the scoring onslaught when she finished a pass from

Alex McIntosh. Then Emily Ohlhaver made good on Crystal Mena’s pass to

give Kaiser a 2-0 lead.

Mena then increased the lead with a goal of her own. And in the second

half, Megan Munce added to the advantage, taking an assist from Carly

Ruiz.

In the waning moments of the game, Ruiz closed out the scoring with an

assist from Munce.

Newport Elementary used the second half as more of a practice session.

Coach Mike McMains shuffled girls in and out and made sure everyone

received experience. His girls, like all other teams, have had only three

(or four) practices to prepare for the Daily Pilot Cup.

Madison McMains, Arielle Rockwell, Krysten White, Molly Felix, Devin

Fenley and Camille Collett worked as midfielders for Newport, while

Andrea Aqueveque, Shanell Paris, Chantele Dennison, Margaret Vento and

Alexandria Merozian tended to forward and fullback duty. Jessica Schart

and Grace Shorey shared goalkeeping duties.

After the game and after telling his girls of their next matchup, Kirk

McIntosh dressed himself in a different shirt because he was the referee

of the next game.

Yet, in all the chaos, he was still pleased mainly because of the

turnout which more than doubled from last year.

“My biggest fear was finding enough referees,” he said. “The most

pleasing thing of all was all the kids. There are over 1,000 kids that

participated.”