Tesoro claims top spot

Bryce Alderton

The Corona del Mar High girls soccer team could see the first-place

sign flashing on the horizon as it met the squad it is chasing for

the coveted prize -- the Pacific Coast League title.

But after Thursday the distance the Sea Kings must travel to win

their fourth league crown in five years became greater following a

6-1 defeat to host Tesoro, ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section

Division II, displaying nearly flawless technique in remaining

undefeated in league.

“This is a league-clinching win,” said Tesoro senior midfielder

Becky Steen, who scored a game-high three goals. “This was our

biggest game of the season. We came out wanting it and we got it. It

feels pretty good.”

The Sea Kings (7-7-2, 4-2-1 in league) could have moved into a tie

with the Titans (13-5-3, 6-0-1) with a victory Thursday, but now find

themselves six points behind the leaders.

“We were in it the first 15 minutes, but technically Tesoro is a

great, skilled team,” CdM Coach Bryan Middleton said. “They won the

50-50 balls and had a desire to win today. Our girls had the desire,

but were physically outplayed and, mentally, we weren’t there.”

In contrast, Tesoro Coach Chris Vaught said his team’s mental

makeup was as responsible for the victory as the touch passes and

precision lobs to meet speedy teammates.

“The mental part was different in [Thursday’s] game from the last

game [against CdM -- a 1-1 tie Jan. 13],” Vaught said. “In the last

game, CdM kept coming at us so I told the girls, ‘If you want it, you

have to go get it.’ I hate to sound repetitive, but it has everything

to do with the mental part of the game.”

The Titans made a statement in the first 10 seconds when Steen

booted a ball wide after taking a pass from freshman forward Lauren

Marquez, who would add a goal and an assist and used her speed to

cover a majority of the field.

Tesoro outshot CdM, 8-2, in the first half in taking a 2-0

halftime lead, when Middleton made some changes.

Senior Kinzie Kramer, usually a defender, moved up to the front

lines and Middleton inserted junior Amanda Stockwell on defense.

“I was trying to use Kinzie’s speed at the top to get a goal and

we did get one to make it, 3-1, but [the Titans] came on too strong.

One more goal and our girls’ heads were down. They didn’t stop

attacking.”

CdM’s goal came in the 62nd minute when senior Elizabeth Almaraz

-- standing a few feet from the south sideline -- lobbed a free kick

that bounced once and rose just enough for sophomore Taylor Fallon to

get a head on the ball and knock it into the net.

But any momentum CdM might have gained from the goal was squashed

three minutes later when a Marquez cross sent into the 18-yard box --

intended for Steen -- hit a CdM player and deflected into the net.

The Titans, playing without junior forward Courtney Lewis who is

competing in an under-17 national event, scored two more goals in the

next eight minutes.

“We focused hard and finished the set plays,” Steen said. “We were

always looking for the ball.”

Tesoro, in its third year of varsity competition, routinely went

through a midfielder stationed in the center of the field to make a

touch pass to a forward or midfielder sprinting along either

sideline.

CdM goalkeeper Katie Schiesser was kept busy, making 10 saves on

16 shots, while Kramer, junior Tanisha Senaratne and Hannah Rollins

knocked away several more balls from opponents entering the zone.

CdM hosts University at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday to begin a stretch of

three final league games as teams battle for playoff positioning. The

Trojans claimed a 1-0 victory in the teams’ prior league meeting Jan.

15 and headed into Thursday, 3-3 in league, four points behind CdM.

“That will be the biggest game of the year,” Middleton said.