Sea Kings shine in second half

Bryce Alderton

It took 47 minutes Tuesday for the Corona del Mar High girls soccer

team to end its scoring drought and what followed was a deluge that

led to a decisive 2-0 nonleague victory over visiting Costa Mesa.

Sophomore Kelly Morgan and senior Brook Burgner each scored

second-half goals for CdM (2-4-1), which had been held scoreless for

seven straight halves.

The Sea Kings turned the Mesa net into a shooting gallery for the

first 16 minutes of the second half, firing eight shots in that span

on goalkeeper Kindra Bailey, who made five saves. The Mustangs (3-5)

outshot the Sea Kings, 3-2, in the first half.

“We wanted to come out energized, but were flat in the first

half,” CdM Coach Bryan Middleton said. “The first five minutes of the

second half we picked up the pace and played hard. Our offense

created our goals. I told them to have fun playing soccer.”

In the 47th minute CdM senior Courtney Carnahan, playing her first

full game since injuring her ankle in the season opener, launched one

of her long throw-ins near the top of the 18-yard box. Sophomore

forward Rachel Yelsey was waiting and relayed the ball to a sliding

Morgan, who sneaked the ball into the Mesa net for the game’s first

goal in the 47th minute.

Yelsey intercepted a pass near midfield nine minutes later and

dribbled 20 yards before finding Burgner, who fired the ball into the

left side of the goal.

“[CdM] came out strong the first 20 minutes of the second half and

kept the pressure on,” Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said. “We made

mistakes and they capitalized on them whereas they would make a

mistake and we couldn’t finish. You have to be able to put the ball

into the net.”

The Mustangs’ front line was diminished with the absences of

Jasmin Day and Rachel Ronquillo, two All-Golden West League

performers a year ago. Day watched from the sidelines with a fever

while Ronquillo had strep throat.

Johnston said that was no excuse.

“No one was in a position they hadn’t played before,” he said. “We

had several chances ourselves.”

Late in the first half Mesa junior Nilani Duarte, a first-team

all-league and All-CIF selection a year ago, intercepted a clearing

pass from CdM goalkeeper Katie Schiesser, dribbled a few yards and

tried to fire the ball into the left side of the net. But Schiesser,

who made three saves, dived to her right to knock the ball away.

Duarte made a steal two minutes later, forcing Schiesser to stroll

out past the six-yard box in attempt to grasp the ball. Sophomore

forward Kyla Flores attempted to get a foot on the ball, but CdM

senior defender Kinzie Kramer kept that from happening.

Duarte, along with senior Stacy Krikorian, covered much of the

field, while senior sweeper Kara Jenkins slid several times to knock

away balls from CdM attackers.

“[Jenkins] saved them several times,” Middleton said.

Johnston said CdM’s height advantage proved valuable in gaining

possession.

“They seemed like a foot taller all across the board,” he said.

CdM welcomed the return of sophomore forward Taylor Fallon, who

missed Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Capistrano Valley in the Mater Dei

tournament, while receiving strong defense from juniors Vanessa

Fallon and Tanisha Senaratne.

Costa Mesa opens league play against Santa Ana at 3:15 p.m.

Thursday while CdM readies to host Back Bay rival Newport Harbor the

same time and day.