SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS LOS ALTOS SUCCUMBS TO INJURY, GUNN EFFORT

DATE: Saturday, January 6, 1996 By DAVE PAYNE, Mercury News Staff Writer

With one Fair twin having departed to join the national team, and the other Fair twin sidelined most of the second half with an ankle injury, Friday's game wasn't an affair to remember for the defending Central Coast Section Division II-champion Los Altos girls soccer team.

While they had their opportunities to score, the Eagles (4-2-1) came up empty during a 1-0 loss to visiting Gunn (5-2-1, 2-0) in a SCVAL De Anza Division match.

Gunn sophomore Heather Husky scored her first goal of the season early in the second half on a close-range shot after Titan Becky Zaunich's free kick from 20 yards bounced away from Los Altos goalkeeper Julie Jones.

Already playing without senior All-American midfielder Lorrie Fair, the Eagles labored the final 23 minutes Friday without Ronnie Fair, who left the game after being accidentally kicked in the right ankle during a scramble in front of the Gunn goal.

''The ankle is sore, but it will be OK,'' said Ronnie Fair, last season's Central Coast Section player of the year. ''I should be be back for our next game (Wednesday against Homestead).''

The same can't be said for her sister, however. Lorrie Fair left school this week for Florida, where she has started training with the U.S. women's national team. She is bidding to earn one of 16 spots on the national team's roster for this summer's Olympic Games.

''Losing Lorrie hurt, but I anticipated that happening,'' Los Altos Coach Rudei Graf said. ''But we're still a good team without her.

''Losing Ronnie today was a shame. I think we could have won had she not been injured.''

Ronnie Fair, like her coach, believes the Eagles can be successful without her sister.

''We have some good players,'' she said. ''What it's going to take is for us to make some adjustments, to get the right combination of players on the field at once.''

One of the adjustments may have to involve Ronnie Fair. She is the Eagles' starting sweeper, but the team was obviously more dangerous offensively after Graf moved Fair up front shortly after the Titans scored.

''Ronnie is an outstanding sweeper,'' Graf said. ''But, yes, I may have to give consideration to using her more in our attack.''

First-year Gunn Coach Chad Dowling, a former soccer star at St. Francis High and St. Mary's College, was elated with his team's effort.

''You have to be happy with a win over an outstanding team like Los Altos,'' Dowling said. ''If we win the games we should in our division and sneak a win in here and there against a St. Francis, Los Gatos or Los Altos, we'll have a shot at the (CCS) playoffs.''