Girls’ Soccer: CdM falls in title match
CORONA — After watching Sunny Hills play its final pool play game of the 14th annual Sunny Hills Invitational on Saturday morning, Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer Coach Bryan Middleton had a pretty good scouting report.
“They look for a lot of set pieces to get their goals,” Middleton said. “They score a lot of goals off corner kicks and throw-ins.”
That proved accurate later Saturday night. The Lancers used a header goal off a corner kick in the third minute and held on to beat CdM, 1-0, in the tournament championship game at Corona High.
CdM (4-2-3) got in a hole early in the title game played in a steady rain. After sophomore forward Sierra Chhoeung took a free kick near the left corner flag, CdM defender Hailey Neumann was able to clear the ball. But the Sea Kings couldn’t repeat the task on Chhoeung’s corner kick from the right just a minute later.
This time, Sunny Hills junior midfielder Kendall Hart was able to flick a header into the back of the net at the near post.
Sunny Hills (8-1) hung on to win its host tournament for the fifth time. CdM was denied its second tournament championship under Middleton, who is in his 14th season. The Sea Kings won the Flintridge Sacred Heart Tournament in 2011-12.
“I think we had probably had a good 70% possession in that game,” Middleton said of the final against Sunny Hills. “We needed to generate more good offensive opportunities in the first half. In the second half, we did, especially in the last 15 minutes. It’s just a learning experience in the preseason. We need to finish those opportunities off … but my hat’s off to Sunny Hills for working hard throughout the game to keep us from scoring on them.”
The Sea Kings indeed put pressure on the Lancers in the second half. Senior forward Ally Doherty had one of the better chances, after taking a give-and-go from junior midfielder Leah Givant. Doherty’s shot from up top whistled just wide right of the goal.
“It’s hard when you go down at first, but I think we played tough throughout the whole game,” Doherty said. “We just couldn’t finish, I guess, but we played a really good game I thought.”
CdM earned several corner kicks in the second half, but couldn’t stick it in. Middleton brought Neumann up from defense to forward at the end, hoping she could score her fifth goal of the season. The first four have all been on free kicks, and she did get a good chance from about 40 yards out on a free kick Saturday night, but Sunny Hills freshman goalie Monica Balos leaped to deflect the ball.
Givant and sophomore Liz Lamie did well to create chances in the midfield for CdM, which beat Los Altos, 1-0, earlier Saturday to win Pool “B” of the eight-team tournament. Lamie was playing in just her second and third games of the season after returning from an ACL surgery in March.
The Sea Kings’ defense of senior keeper Kat Hess, Neumann, junior Christina Venturini, sophomore Julie Bartz and freshman Katherine Caston was also stout in both games. Hess made five saves in the title game, but CdM couldn’t quite score the equalizer.
The Sea Kings, ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division 2, could possibly see Sunny Hills again in the Division 2 playoffs. The teams could also meet at the North Orange County Classic tournament, which begins for CdM on Dec. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at Chino Hills High, against Norco.
“It makes it a little easier to take, when a team scores that good of a goal to win the game 1-0,” Middleton said. “We just need to finish opportunities like she did. We’ve got to start taking more chances on goal. That’s what we’re learning from these preseason games, so when we get to league, we make the most of our opportunities.”
CdM junior Taylor Rosen scored the second-half goal against Los Altos to help CdM make the title match. The goal came after the Los Altos keeper couldn’t quite control Givant’s shot from 30 yards out.
That final pool-play game was also interrupted for about 30 minutes after an apparent fire alarm malfunction.
CdM plans to enjoy its week-long holiday break before beginning the next tournament.
“I think we’re doing better than other people thought we were going to do, which is awesome, and the team’s getting along really well,” Doherty said. “It’s just fun so far.”
