Jerseys not important for CdM

CORONA DEL MAR — Thirty minutes before Friday’s home match, the Corona del Mar High boys were told they could not wear their white jerseys.

The soccer game was originally scheduled to be at Laguna Hills and despite being played on the Sea Kings’ field, the Hawks were treated as the home team, which wears white jerseys. The Sea Kings scrambled to find their road jerseys. Half the CdM players had them, the other half wore sheer blue sleeveless jerseys over their home whites.

The Sea Kings took the field with the appearance of being unprepared, but once the game started they were just the opposite, posting their second straight Pacific Coast League shutout with a 1-0 victory over Laguna Hills.

“It feels great,” Corona del Mar Coach Pat Callaghan said. “I was encouraged by what I saw out there.”

Corona del Mar is on its first winning streak of the season, following a rough preseason in which the Sea Kings went 2-8-2. Of the eight losses, five were by one goal, with the other three coming by a two-goal margin.

Callaghan said his players never got down on themselves because they remained competitive in their games and always focused on winning in league.

“They are ready to go,” Callaghan said. “They know the league is the true test.”

Freshman forward Reed Williams scored the game’s only goal on a redirect just minutes in.

Williams said the difficult preseason schedule, which featured a match against El Toro, the top-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division II, prepared Corona del Mar for the league, which does not have team with an overall record above .500.

“It feels good to win some games,” Williams said. “We have been playing harder teams, gaining some momentum to start winning.”

Senior goalkeeper Jaffer Kattan said the Sea Kings, with shutout victories over two of the four teams in league, are in a strong position to capture the PCL title.

“We’re loving winning, that’s what it’s all about,” Kattan said. “We’re playing as a team. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Corona del Mar has received a boost from the return of left-footed senior midfielder Jon Udahsev, whose first game back from injury was a league-opening 3-0 victory over Beckman on Wednesday. Udahsev supplied the crossing passes that were critical to the Sea Kings’ constant pressure on offense.

“Jon really changes things for us,” Callaghan said. “He has a lot of skill in passing the ball. He had some unbelievable crosses. Four or five beautiful ones. [The rest of the Sea Kings] are seeing balls coming in they haven’t seen before.”

The defense has also played an active role in the Sea Kings’ two league victories.

“Our sweeper Pat Suozzi played great defense,” Kattan said. “Miles [Kellerman] played with great composure on the ball on the right side. Dean Pospisil dominated the ball. The entire defense played well.”

Corona del Mar has also received continued strong play from senior midfielder Bryan Burke.

“Bryan was all over the field,” Kattan said.

The Sea Kings have also proved they have some depth. With junior forward Paolo Iaccarino out of the lineup due to illness, senior Charlie Albright took his place and helped keep the heat on the Hawks’ goalkeeper.

“Charlie did a real good job of filling,” Callaghan said. “He’s real fast and he’s a tough kid.”

Callaghan added that his team just needs to finish its scoring opportunities and the goals will follow. Corona del Mar faces Irvine at home Wednesday. The match is the second in a string of five straight home games for the Sea Kings.