Munger leads CdM in rout
Blake Munger doesn’t remember much about the last time he suited up to play for the Corona del Mar High boys’ soccer team. Blame a concussion he suffered on Dec. 15 during warmups that knocked him out of action for more than three weeks.
Munger’s first match back was on Thursday, and the Pacific Coast League opener at home is one he will surely never forget. The junior striker produced a career-high five goals in the Sea Kings’ 6-0 rout of Irvine.
The Sea Kings are a much different team with Munger on the field. With him, they’re unbeaten in four matches, and without him, they’ve only won once in seven contests.
Munger made a huge difference for CdM (4-5-2, 1-0-0 in league) against Irvine. Munger never imagined he would score five goals in his return, especially not in the shape he was in after missing seven matches because of a concussion.
“I’m a little out of shape,” Munger said. “I’m getting back into it mentally and physically. I was a little winded first half. But it’s one of those things, the goals just kept coming.”
Munger looked a lot like the one player who wore No. 11 five seasons ago for CdM Coach George Larsen. Munger is related to that player, Reed Williams.
The two are cousins, and Williams has teased Munger about living up to wearing his jersey number. Williams led CdM to a historic season in 2009-10, a CIF Southern Section Division 4 title and the CIF Southern California Regional Division II title. He finished with 32 goals that season, before heading to UCLA to play.
For one day, Munger outdid Williams.
“You can tell your cousin Reed he never scored five goals in a game,” Larsen said to Munger shortly after he pulled him in the 57th minute, when Munger found the back of the net for the fifth time against Irvine.
Munger’s final goal turned out to be his finest, and he used his head to put it away. Brenden Hueston, who had two assists, sent a cross to Munger inside the box, where Munger was able to finish the play by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Ashkan Sahranavard.
Munger took advantage of the Vaqueros (1-7-0, 0-1-0) starting their third goalkeeper on the depth chart. Irvine’s defense didn’t help Sahranavard much.
Early on, Alex Rihm helped Munger get quality scoring chances. Rihm, who had three assists, set up Munger, who found himself in a one-on-one situation with Sahranavard near the top of the box. When Sahranavard came out, Munger avoided him, dribbling to the right before tapping in the ball for a goal in the fourth minute.
Ten minutes later, from the 18, Munger chipped a shot over Sahranavard to make it a 2-0 lead for CdM. Munger earned a hat trick in the 18th minute, using his left foot to beat the keeper between his legs.
The only other player to score was Jad Malley, coming in the 31st minute. The Sea Kings took a 4-0 lead, and by halftime, they outshot Irvine, 17-4. The Vaqueros never challenged keeper Hagen Truninger (six saves), the JSerra transfer who made his first start this season for CdM.
During the break, Irvine Coach Eugene Day said to his team, “Welcome to league.” Day, in his first season at Irvine, isn’t a stranger to the Pacific Coast League. He used to coach the Costa Mesa boys’ soccer team, leading the Mustangs to Pacific Coast League crowns in his first two seasons in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Finding that kind of early success at Irvine is highly unlikely for Day. The Vaqueros, who haven’t won a league match since the 2012-13 season, showed little against defending league champion CdM.
“For me, as the new coach, I don’t care if they won the Super Duper League,” Day said of the Sea Kings, who went 8-0-2 in league last season, giving Larsen his third league championship in five seasons.
“We made it tough on ourselves because we didn’t have no effort out there, none whatsoever.”