El Capitan tops La Jolla again in field hockey series

El Capitan High School’s boy’s field hockey team captured its second win of the three-game series against La Jolla with a 2-0 shutout on Thursday on the Vaqeuros home field.

It was the second time in less than a week that the El Cap team held the Vikings scoreless in the pilot project for a boys’ field hockey. USA Field Hockey is set to launch a development program in 2011.

The Vaqueros led 1-0 at half time after a goal in the 12th minute by Anthony Vigil; Kevin McKeown added the second goal in the 53rd minute, reported Nick Conway, who is the La Jolla coach and the U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach. Sandy Martinez, mother of former USA U21 Men’s National Team member Manny Martinez, coaches the El Capitan side.

The players are a selection of “young kids that like to play sports.” La Jolla has a team of 16; El Capitan, about 24.

Conway said Friday that he is pleased with the progress the players have made.

“The athletes appear to be having a really good time,” he added. “They’re very committed and the games have been really competitive.”

He said the parental and fan support is encouraging too, as the national team works to expand in to the youth ranks.

Conway said the coaches saw improvement from the first game they teams played — “a little more competitive and closer. ... They’re improving from game to game. “

The final match of the series will be played on artificial turf at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista during the Men’s Junior National Championship on July 10.

After the June 17 game four players were invited to participate in the championship games “to give them an opportunity to play at a higher level and to offer them an incentive,” Conway said.

By Monday morning, two — El Capitan’s Travis Kensley and Jared McCarthy — had accepted the invited. Conway said he was still awaiting confirmation from the others.