Sea Kings shut out Seahawks

Bryce Alderton

Sports’ unending unpredictability reared its sometimes unfortunate

head on the Corona del Mar High soccer field Thursday afternoon.

CdM’s girls team (2-1) had just scored two goals in a seven-minute

span of the second half and led, 3-0, against Ocean View (0-4-2)

before senior Elisha Morgan appeared to injure her lower back after

colliding with an Ocean View player in the 59th minute. Morgan took

control near midfield and dribbled to within 25 yards of the

Seahawks’ goal before being upended by defender trying to poke the

ball away. Morgan, a three-time All-CIF Southern Section performer,

went airborne, falling hard on her left side from an estimated four

feet. For almost 30 minutes, she laid on her stomach, talking to her

mother along with a trainer, concerned teammates and coaches. She was

able to move her legs.

By the time Paramedics from the Newport Beach Fire Department

strapped her to a spine board and transported her to Hoag Hospital in

Newport Beach, it was 4:50 p.m. and the referee, after consulting

both coaches, called the game due to darkness. CdM was awarded the

victory.

CdM Coach Bryan Middleton huddled his players together after their

abbreviated 3-0 victory. He told them he was going to the hospital

and encouraged Morgan’s teammates to visit her.

“She came down on her lower back and was in pain,” Middleton said.

Morgan was released later Thursday night with deep tissue bruises

around her left lower back, Middleton said. Doctors recommended she

see an orthopedist. Middleton estimated she would miss a week.

Before Morgan went down, she scored the Sea Kings’ third goal 12

minutes into the second half, following a flurry of shots by CdM’s

Brook Burgner, Kelly Morgan (Elisha’s younger sister) and Paige

Janes, all taken 2 yards from the goal line. Alivia Muzura’s corner

kick began the shot barrage.

Muzura tallied a goal and two assists (both off corner kicks) and

led numerous offensive attacks for the Sea Kings.

“We tried to hit quickly through the gap toward the goal,” Muzura

said. “There was a lot of one-on-one, taking it to them and putting

(the ball) in the prime target area.”

Muzura scored the Sea Kings’ first goal in the 29th minute on

CdM’s 15th of 16 first-half shots. The goal was set up by a Janes

pass from midfield.

Ocean View had just two shots in the first half on CdM goalie

Rachel Waters.

Even though the Sea Kings struggled putting the ball in goal in

the first half, Muzura was encouraged by the bounty of shots.

“You have to take a lot of shots because not everything is going

to go in,” Muzura said.

Muzura was running alongside Morgan when the fall occurred.

“I saw the ball come in and Elisha passed it off to me so I ran to

get the ball,” said Muzura, describing the play preceding Morgan’s

fall. “I didn’t see her fall to the ground but I definitely heard it.

Hopefully she is O.K. because, without her, our attack is hurting.”

Morgan and Muzura, along with Jenny Long, Lauren Loe, Kelly

Morgan, Kinzie Kramer, Jessica Muzura and Vanessa Fallon continually

pressured the Ocean View defense.

The Sea Kings got strong defense from Lauren Shepherdson, Tanisha

Senaratne, Janes and Taylor Fallon.

The Sea Kings’ second goal came seven minutes into the second

half, following an Alivia Muzura corner kick that hit an Ocean View

player and trickled into the goal, to the left of Ocean View goalie

Kaylin Olivas.

“We’re still not in the flow of our offensive game yet,” Middleton

said. “We weren’t awake at the beginning of the game, but once you

get the first goal it increases the confidence. Working the ball on

top is one of the things we need to work on.”

CdM will get that chance today at Aliso Niguel at 5 p.m.