The Comeback Kid

University of Notre Dame junior Caylan Leslie, a product of Corona

del Mar High, pulled off an upset of Georgia’s Tina Hojnik, ranked

60th in the nation in singles, in her first collegiate match in 14

months on Friday in the Collegiate Tennis Kickoff Classic at Las

Vegas.

Leslie fell in three sets in the second round of the event to

11th-ranked and third-seeded Kate Pinchbeck of North Carolina, 6-4,

2-6, 6-1.

Leslie, who underwent shoulder surgery after suffering an injury

late in the fall of 2001, defeated Hojnik, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the

first round of the tournament. She was playing her first collegiate

match since November of 2001 and her first collegiate singles contest

since Oct. 19, 2001, when she dropped a three-set decision to Anita

Loyola of USC at No. 2 singles in an exhibition dual match.

Ranked 82nd in the nation in singles heading into her freshman

year, Leslie was 30-12 in singles, playing mostly at No. 4, and 13-3

in doubles in her first season of collegiate tennis.

The win was the first of Leslie’s career over a nationally-ranked

opponent and it afforded her a measure of revenge against her foe. In

the only previous meeting between them, Hojnik handed Leslie her lone

loss in an 8-1 month of February in 2001, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 decision at

No. 4.

CdM wins, 2-1

BOYS SOCCER: Corona del Mar High junior Danny Whitaker scored a

game-winning goal in the 56th minute to lead the Sea Kings’ boys

soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Pacific Coast League visitor Tesoro

Friday.

CdM junior Jerritt Thayer scored in the 17th minute, but Tesoro

tied the game in the second half after scoring on a penalty kick.

Then, 14 minutes later, Whitaker scored.

The Sea Kings improved to 8-4-2, 2-0-0 in league.

Mesa falls, 2-0

BOYS SOCCER: Costa Mesa High’s boys are still looking for their

first victory of the season following a 2-0 loss to visiting

Westminster in Golden West League action.

The Mustangs are 0-12-1, 0-6-0 in league.

They’re at Santa Ana on Wednesday in league play, which marks the

return of Coach Eugene Day, who has been suspended for the past six

weeks because of a technicality regarding coaching a girls club team

during the season of sport of the boys high school season.

Lightning falls, 4-0

GIRLS SOCCER: The Sage Hill school girls soccer team received a

standout effort from goalie Laura Gordon, but the Lightning lost,

4-0, to Academy League visitor Capistrano Valley Christian.

Gordon recorded 21 saves for Sage Hill, which dropped to 2-8, 1-2

in league.

Mesa girls romp, 9-2

GIRLS WATER POLO: Six second-half goals by senior Katie Thorsness

led the Costa Mesa High girls water polo team to a 9-2 victory over

visiting Northwood Friday.

Mesa scored eight of its nine goals in the second half after

leading, 1-0, after two periods.

Jessica Steenhard scored two goals and Sarah Bowman had one goal

for the Mustangs (8-3, 3-0 in the Golden West League). Mesa

goalkeeper Michelle Payne made seven saves.

The Mustangs next face cross-town rival Estancia at Mesa Tuesday

at 3:15 p.m.

In Costa Mesa junior varsity action, the Mustangs defeated

Northwood, 5-1. Goalie Quinn Nuygen had seven saves in the final

period and 12 stops overall.

Nonleague

Costa Mesa 9, Northwood 2

Score by Quarters

Northwood 0 0 1

1 -- 2

Costa Mesa 1 0 4

4 -- 9

Northwood -- Chico 1, Ton 1. Saves -- Harris, 7.

Costa Mesa -- Thorsness 6, Steenhard 2, Bowman 1 Saves -- Payne,

7.