Girls soccer: CdM opener is painless

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Corona del Mar High girls soccer coach Ron Evans

has no complaints about the medical care he’s receiving for a broken leg

that laid him up the last two weeks.

But his players unveiled their own five-point program to speed his

recovery Friday, trouncing visiting St. Paul, 5-0, in the first round of

the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs.

I got some drugs from my doctor to deal with the pain,” said Evans,

who watched in a wheelchair, with his broken right leg, from which the

cast was removed Friday morning, elevated to stem the blood flow. “But

the best therapy was getting back out to see my team.”

The top-seeded Sea Kings (24-1-3) didn’t wait long to get into an

offensive flow, firing the first of their 34 shots in the first minute

and opening the scoring in the 12th minute on a goal by Alison Brawner.

The win propelled CdM into Tuesday’s second round against Martin

Luther King (13-8-2) at a site to be determined. It also upped the Sea

Kings’ unbeaten streak to 21 games.

“I have an incredible group of girls,” said Evans, whose squad ended

St. Paul’s season for the second straight year. Last year, CdM needed

overtime to earn a 2-0 second-round triumph, though it outshot the

Swordsmen, 37-2.

This time, St. Paul (9-14-1) was outshot, 34-1, as CdM goalie Britta

Vogele was not required to make a save and touched the ball only four

times with her hands. It was CdM’s 13th shutout.

The hosts, two-time defending champions of the Pacific Coast League,

virtually monopolized play for 80 minutes, as five different players

scored. All this despite the absence of junior scoring leader Allison

Harvey (25 goals), who sat out with torn knee cartilage.

“Unselfishness has kind of been the characteristic of this team,” said

Evans, who noted Harvey could return next week.

Brawner punched in a shot after Jenny Long’s cross bounced off CdM

teammate Kristin Hanson, then senior sweeper Molly O’Meara drove a direct

free kick over the St. Paul goalie Neddy Cabrerra (six saves) and under

the crossbar from 30 yards out in the 35th minute.

CdM expanded its 2-0 halftime lead when Paige Janes started a run,

then passed down the left flank to Brawner. Brawner’s cross set up

sophomore Lauren Shepherdson, who scored inside the near post in the 47th

minute.

Freshman Kinzie Kramer converted a Shepherdson assist on a play

started by Elisha Morgan in the 54th minute and Long hooked a left-footed

shot into the far corner from about 20 yards out to finalize the scoring

in the 77th minute.

Margit Vogele, Morgan, Jaycee Mahler, Janes and Hanson also had shots

for CdM.