Zero tolerance continues, 1-0

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — The destination was a familiar one for the Sage Hill School boys’ soccer team.

For the sixth time in eight games, the Lightning traveled through an 80-minute match and found themselves at the end with a 1-0 victory. Monday’s victim was nonleague foe JSerra.

Sage Hill, ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division VI, improved to 11-0-2, and has only allowed one goal, an own goal, this season while posting 12 shutouts.

The Lightning are 7-0 against Academy League foes. With three league games remaining, the Lightning are ahead of second-place St. Margaret’s and Oxford Academy (both 5-2 in league).

As always, the route Sage Hill took to a recognizable end Monday was unique.

A first-half goal came in classic Lightning fashion, a practiced play translating into success on the field with freshman Ben Capaldi delivering his eighth goal of the season.

Sage Hill played with its usual stout defense in the first half, but the similarities ended there as the Lightning struggled in the second. There were missed opportunities on offense and three starters left with injuries, depleting the already thin 15-player roster, which was without freshman Chris Burke.

First, senior Richard Gadbois had to be helped off with a leg injury. Then, senior Braden Ross was carted off with an ankle injury. And with less than 10 minutes remaining, junior Beau Caillouette was forced to the sideline with a bloody lip.

Lightning Coach Noureddine El Alam looked down his bench and the only one left was senior Tyler Ellison. Ellison had no intention of playing due to illness and didn’t have his shoes. El Alam sent him in and the patchwork lineup completed the shutout.

“The first half was good for us and we dominated,” El Alam said. “The second half, three key players went out. [JSerra] did a lot of combination plays and we lost our shape a lot. We were lucky and they just didn’t know how to finish.”

The bearer of bad luck for all opposing offenses is Lightning senior Alex Edelstein. Monday was no different for the reigning league Most Valuable Player, who as the stopper serves as the last defender before the goalie.

Three times in a 10-minute span, JSerra, which is in Division I, sent passes to players in the 18-yard box, only to see Edelstein blast it clear with his foot or head. After the match, his teammates voted him Player of the Game.

Edelstein said the team was a little lethargic from the quick turnaround after having game at St. Margaret’s on Friday that punctuated a week of finals.

“We’ve just been working hard,” he said of the team’s uncanny ability to pull off 1-0 victories. “The forwards work hard up top to create bad passes. The midfielders are helping out. There is good coordination and good communication. I love [being the last defender in front of the goalkeeper]. I like the pressure. I feel very confident in my abilities.”

Senior midfielder Conrad Whitaker said it was tough for the team to adapt in the second half with players going out with injuries.

“We were a little flat today,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker said the Lightning were able to retain the shutout because their strength lies in teamwork.

“We’re very cohesive,” he said. “We play central, always on top of the ball. There is a lot of talking, a lot of vision. The person who sees something lets everyone else know. Alex Edelstein is the most effective at that.”

Freshman goalkeeper Jake Blitzer made nine saves in the second half to complete the shutout. El Alam, in the second half, switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1, dropping a forward to midfield in order to help pack in the defense.

“We condensed in the back,” he said. “They would shoot it and we would get it out and they would bounce it back at us.”

El Alam said Gadbois was “50-50” for Friday’s league contest at Whitney. Ross will get X-rays of his foot and Caillouette should be fine.

The Lightning scored the lone goal in the 30th minute. Capaldi had an open path to the goal, but was taken down at the top of the 18-yard box.

JSerra set up a wall, with Ross positioning himself in-between the fifth and sixth Lion. Capaldi blasted a shot directly at Ross, who ducked. The ball skimmed off Ross’ back and into the back of the net.

“It was a beautiful strike,” El Alam said of the practiced play.