An M & M treat

Bryce Alderton

These days the health of the Corona del Mar High girls soccer team

has taken a beating, making the team’s sideline look more like the

waiting room at a hospital.

With four players nursing injuries including USC-bound senior

Lauren Shepherdson, who broke her ankle and is out for the season,

CdM had only one substitute to use in its game Thursday, but it

hardly mattered. The Sea Kings remained unbeaten and in first place

in the Pacific Coast League (6-0-0) with a 5-0 victory over visiting

Laguna Beach (2-7-2, 1-5 in league).

The combination of seniors Alivia Muzura and Elisha Morgan

combined for four goals, each assisting the other on two scores, as

CdM (9-3-1 overall) scored three goals in the second half in three

minutes.

In the 63rd minute Muzura kept the ball from crossing midfield off

a Laguna kick and spurted toward the goal with Morgan racing to her

left. Muzura lobbed the ball toward the goal and Morgan headed it in,

giving the hosts a 3-0 lead.

Two minutes later Morgan’s cross to the right found Muzura in

stride and she rolled the ball into the left side of the goal from 15

yards out.

“We talked before the game about getting goals and assists,” said

a smiling Morgan about her and Muzura connecting for the four goals.

Morgan and Muzura, bound for UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley,

respectively, have each scored three goals in the last two games --

both wins.

“(Morgan and Muzura) were in that mode for about 20 minutes, which

is when we got three goals (in the second half),” said CdM Coach

Bryan Middleton. “The combination of the two of them is hard to stop

offensively.”

Senior Jenny Long tallied CdM’s final goal in the 66th minute on a

rebound off a shot by Brook Burgner. Senior Lauren Loe made the goal

possible by knocking down a through ball near midfield and eluding

one defender to sprint down the near sideline and seconds later blast

a shot from the left corner.

“It took awhile for the flow to begin but once the flood gates

opened, the shots started going in,” Middleton said.

Loe and USC-bound Paige Janes stopped numerous Breaker attacks,

deterring senior forward Emily Ward (also headed to Cal) from getting

within firing range of CdM goalkeeper Tanisha Senaratne, who made

four saves. Senaratne reached up with both hands to deflect the

rising 12-yard penalty kick by Ward over the goal seven minutes into

the second half.

Laguna managed just five shots to CdM’s 19. Breakers’ goalkeeper

Nikki Chesley made 12 saves.

Senaratne played in goal again for injured Rachel Waters, who has

been out since injuring her knee in a game against Costa Mesa Jan. 4.

Waters, along with freshman Rachel Yelsey (sprained ankle), are

expected to miss another two weeks. Middleton said freshman Jessica

Muzura (knee) should be getting the MRI results today, and then he

could determine how much longer she will be out.

“We are dropping like flies, when one person comes back, another

person goes down,” Morgan said. “We have to play safe and not slide

into tackles. We definitely want to keep winning. Our goal is to go

10-0 (in league).”

Elsewhere in high school soccer Thursday:

* Newport Harbor High’s girls dropped a 4-1 Sea View League

encounter at Aliso Niguel, falling to 5-9-5, 3-3-1 in league.

Junior Barbara Julian scored with 7:36 spent in the game, the

Aliso Niguel countered with a goal to tie before halftime, and three

unanswered goals in the second half.

* The Estancia High boys soccer team opened with a 1-0 lead, but

host Saddleback rallied for a 2-1 Golden West League victory Thursday

in Santa Ana. Javier Millan scored in the 17th minute for Estancia

(6-8-1, 3-6-1 in league). Saddleback improved to 10-5-5, 5-2-3.

* Sage Hill School’s boys and host Brethren Christian played to a

scoreless tie in Academy League play. Ethan Tanney had six saves for

Sage Hill, which is 6-4-3, 2-2-2 in league.

* Sage Hill School’s girls fell to visiting Brethren Christian,

2-1, in the Academy League. Caroline Sauter scored Sage Hill’s goal.

Laura Gordon had eight first-half saves and Amber Strauss had six

second-half saves. Sage Hill is 3-11, 2-4 in league.