Sea Kings love home cooking

Bryce Alderton

Last week the Corona del Mar High girls soccer team didn’t feel so

good.

What a difference seven days can make.

The Sea Kings virtually assured themselves of a berth in the CIF

Southern Section Division II playoffs with a 7-0 victory over Pacific

Coast League visitor Calvary Chapel (Santa Ana) Thursday for their

largest margin of victory this season after succumbing to

league-leading Tesoro, 6-1, Jan. 29.

The win also gives the Sea Kings (9-7-2, 6-2-1 in league) a

perfect home league record (5-0) this season. CdM has lost at home

just once this year, a 3-2 nonleague setback to Kennedy Jan. 6.

“This is our last game ever at home, so we were definitely pumped

up,” said CdM senior defender Kinzie Kramer, who scored her first

goal of the season in the second half to increase the lead to 5-0.

Fellow seniors Courtney Carnahan and Brooke Burger also scored one

goal each in the second half to go with sophomore forward Taylor

Fallon’s second goal, which came when she headed in a corner kick

from sophomore Jessica Mazura to increase the lead to 6-0.

Fallon scored her first goal, which gave CdM a 3-0 lead in the

21st minute, on an almost identical corner kick from Mazura.

Freshman Ali Torres and sophomore Rachel Yelsey added goals in the

first half as the Sea Kings quickly put the game out of reach

“The last game [against Calvary Chapel, a 2-1 CdM victory] was one

of our off games,” CdM Bryan Middleton said. “Besides Tesoro, [ranked

No. 4 in Division II], we have been clicking against [University, a

4-1 triumph Tuesday], Laguna Beach, Northwood and now this game.

We’ve been playing well and finishing.”

In the last two games, the Sea Kings have combined to score 11

goals, the total they tallied in six prior games.

Yelsey’s goal, which gave CdM a 2-0 lead in the 15th minute, came

off a lob pass from junior defender Tanisha Senaratne. Yelsey beat

Calvary freshman goalkeeper Jessica Poulsen to head the bouncing ball

over Poulsen and into the net as the two mildly collided. Yelsey was

shaken up, but walked off the field with a slight limp and a smile to

her applauding teammates.

Poulsen made eight saves for Calvary (7-16, 0-9).

Once CdM had a 3-0 lead in the 21st minute, Middleton inserted

substitutes such as Samantha Price, Jessica Gianotti and Phoebe

Chang.

In the second half, CdM goalkeeper Katie Schiesser played in the

field for the first time and sophomore forward Kelly Morgan put on a

red practice jersey and defended the net. Schiesser made two saves

while Morgan tallied one.

“This was an opportunity for us to enjoy the game of soccer,”

Middleton said.

Carnahan said the team came together after the loss to Tesoro.

“We kept our heads up like a champion, even though we lost,” she

said. “We worked hard.”

Tesoro entered Tuesday’s game against Northwood with a 6-0-1

league mark, but Middleton said that game was not played.

A call placed to Northwood Coach Steve Tatone was not returned as

of Thursday night.

CdM travels to Northwood in the regular-season finale at 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday.

“The Northwood game should determine second place,” Middleton

said.