CdM KO’d in OT, 3-2

Bryce Alderton

If anyone wants to see how to play with intensity, heart and desire,

they should pick up a copy of the Corona del Mar High and No. 3-seed

Canyon of Canyon Country girls soccer game Thursday.

This was no ordinary game, in more ways than one. This one was a

CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinal matchup that went

overtime, had a brawl with about five minutes remaining in

regulation, in which two players on both teams received red cards,

and saw Canyon come out victorious, 3-2, on a free kick that a CdM

player accidently hit in for the deciding goal.

Both coaches, several parents and a few players all said they had

never witnessed a brawl like the one at CdM High Thursday that

happened moments following junior Elizabeth Almaraz’s goal off a

header by USC-bound senior Paige Janes that tied Canyon, 2-2, with

five minutes left in regulation.

A muffled stir swept through the stands on the CdM side as CdM

senior Alivia Mazura, who led CdM with 11 goals and 12 assists this

season, sat on the ground, in a fist-punching tussle with Canyon

senior defender Amber Anderson, who referees David Hammond and Elkin

Yepez said instigated the fight.

Several players from both teams rushed into the melee, which

referees at first didn’t run in to stop, baffling Canyon Co-Coach

Jeremy Cook and CdM Coach Bryan Middleton. Cook and Middleton were

able to get control of their players and both teams returned to their

respective sidelines before play resumed about five minutes later.

Anderson and junior midfielder Nikki Smith, whom Cook told

referees was on the bench during the fight, along with freshman

Jessica Mazura, Alivia’s sister, and Janes all received red cards,

signaling ejection from the game. Anderson and Smith will also sit

out the Cowboys’ semifinal game. Janes said she didn’t throw a punch.

Alivia Mazura played the rest of the game, but was apparently hit

on the head during the fight and was visibly shaken following the

game, unable to speak to reporters. Her parents took her to the

hospital immediately after the game, fearing she may have a

concussion.

“I’ve been around (soccer) since I was 4 and have never seen

anything like that in girls soccer. In guys’ soccer, yes,” said

Middleton, who played on three large-school division championship

teams for Jesuit High in Portland, Ore. “Against Canyon Tuesday,

after Elisha (Morgan) was knocked down, the girls stepped back and

didn’t allow it to continue. (The fight) took us out of our game. We

were dominating the game at that point and attacking. When your

starting sweeper (Janes) and leading scorer (Alivia) can’t function,

it hurts. But my team would not let down.”

Morgan was thrown to the ground by Caitlin Van Wormer of Canyon

(Anheim) in Tuesday’s 3-0 Sea King victory, another physical affair.

Middleton and Cook both said they didn’t see how the fight

materialized.

Prior to Janes’ tying goal, CdM (12-6-2) drew three of its eight

corner kicks, keeping the ball in the Canyon zone with help on

defense from sophomore Vanessa Fallon and freshman sister Taylor,

senior Lauren Loe, who bumped the ball to forwards Jenny Long, Alivia

Mazura, Morgan, and sister, Kelly.

Regulation ended and the teams played the first of two 10-minute

overtimes scoreless. Loe shot from the near corner into the hands of

Cowboy goalkeeper Lyndsay Taylor, an All-CIF selection according to

Cook, while the visitors mustered two shots, both by junior defender

Jenna Shay.

Then, six minutes into the second overtime, senior midfielder

Deena Plach rolled the ball to sophomore defender Brianna Caceres on

a throw in. Caceres kicked the ball right back to Plach, who booted

it from 20 yards out toward the upper reaches of the net, where it

was deflected in.

The approximately 75 Cowboy supporters, along with the players,

roared following the goal, but the visitors still had to play defense

for four minutes.

CdM junior defender Kinzie Kramer knocked down two balls and sent

them upfield to Elisha Morgan, and sophomore Tanisha Senaratne, who

gave their legs one last desperate push, but Cowboy defenders were

just a little quicker getting back to thwart any chance of a tying

goal.

Caceres and Plach connected on almost the same type of play as the

game-winner to give the Cowboys a 2-1 advantage in the 65th minute.

“The Cowboys (22-1-0) are a good team and they set up as much as

possible,” said Loe, who along with Long, Alivia and Elisha, each

played their last games as Sea Kings. Injured senior Lauren

Shepherdson watched from the sidelines, and senior Christina Taylor

did not attend Thursday’s game.

“The whole team backed (Alivia) up, and unfortunately they had to

take (Janes) out defending our team,” Loe said. “Physically and

mentally it was a rough game. We had to stay focused and not get into

their game.”

CdM outshot the Cowboys, 17-15, including an 11-4 advantage in the

first half.

A Janes throw-in resulted in CdM’s tying goal in the 23rd minute.

Taylor Fallon kicked a rebound after the ball deflected in a sea of

players. Taylor stopped the ball, but not before it rolled to Kelly

Morgan for the tap-in goal.

CdM pelted Taylor with four more shots to end the first half.

Janes threw the ball in and Long headed it to Elisha, but her header

flew inches right.

“(The Cowboys’) defense was weaker than I expected, we just

couldn’t finish,” Middleton said. “We got crosses but didn’t draw any

to collect a goal.”

CdM sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Waters made five saves, often

positioning herself against the right or left post to block the angle

of an incoming shot.

Sophomore Rachel Yelsey got in on the action Thursday for the Sea

Kings, who were also helped on the year by sophomore Brooke Burgner

and recently, by freshman Lindsey Manning and junior Kellie Flint.

The Sea Kings had reached the semifinals of Division IV each of the

previous three seasons before Middleton took over this season.

“I’m proud of the girls’ work ethic, especially in the CIF

Playoffs,” Middleton said. “I’ve enjoyed this program so much.”