Girls’ Soccer: CdM, Estancia impress in scrimmage

A soccer team is only as good as its defense, and the defense of the Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer team might appear to be in flux as the season begins.

But sophomore goalkeeper Ally Lozano did a lot to quiet those concerns Tuesday night, as the Sea Kings faced Estancia in a scrimmage at Jim Scott Stadium.

Lozano, making her varsity debut, had five big saves, not allowing the Eagles to score. Several of her teammates came up to hug her after the final whistle.

Lozano, who plays club soccer for Irvine Slammers, said she did not play high school soccer last year because she had a dislocated jaw. Her stepping up was big, as the Sea Kings lost starting goalkeeper Kendall Mulvaney to graduation.

Coach Bryan Middleton said that another goalie for CdM, junior Skylar Gullick, is currently out with mononucleosis. And standout junior goalie Kat Hess, who is on the U.S. Under-18 National Team, has transferred from JSerra back to CdM but is not currently eligible. Hess, who attended Tuesday’s scrimmage, is listed as the “team manager” on the CdM roster.

CdM did add another goalie, as senior volleyball outside hitter Katie Craig decided to come out for soccer. Craig got a few minutes in goal Tuesday, coming up in the box to make a big save late in the first half.

“[Lozano] exceeded my expectations,” Middleton said. “It was awesome. She played very well ... we have her, we have Skylar and now we have Katie to help back up. Between the three of them, depending on the situation of the game, we just have to run with it. It’s the first time in six years that I haven’t had a legit [NCAA] Division 1 goalkeeper out there starting for me. I think with the play that [Lozano] had tonight, it built confidence in herself and the rest of the team. We don’t have Kendall Mulvaney [currently at University of Denver], we don’t have Sarah Cox [Stanford], we don’t have Lindsey Luke [Utah] and Kat can’t play this year.”

The other reason the CdM defense might be seen as in flux is because senior center back Brianna Westrup, a Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection a year ago and a University of Virginia commit, has decided to play high school basketball this winter instead of soccer. But the Sea Kings did get back senior defender Brynn Motal, who missed last year with an ACL injury. And on Tuesday, Middleton played senior Birkley Sigband, who scored five goals last year as a midfielder, primarily on defense.

Motal and Sigband are two of the three CdM team captains, along with senior midfielder Shelby Brown, who was last year’s Newport-Mesa Player of the Year. CdM, which has won four straight outright Pacific Coast League titles and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals last year, is now back in Division 2. The Sea Kings are ranked No. 6 in the Division 2 preseason poll.

“We did even better than I thought, so I’m really excited,” Brown said of the scrimmage. “We lost some of our key players, but we also gained a few, which will really help us. I think we’re going to have a really great season.”

Brown delivered the assist as CdM scored the lone goal of the match in the 23rd minute. Her corner kick found the foot of freshman forward Elizabeth Lamie, who volleyed it into the lower left corner of the net.

“That was really cool that Liz scored, because I’ve known her my whole life and she’s my little sister’s best friend,” Brown said. “And she’s a freshman, so that’s really exciting.”

Estancia had two good chances to score. Senior Sarah Leahy delivered a perfect through-ball to sophomore forward Bryanna Perez late in the first half, but Craig was there for the save. The Eagles also had a good opportunity in the second half. After two CdM defenders collided with each other and fell to the ground, Eagles freshman Lexina McDowell found herself alone in front of the net. But Lozano came up to make a big save.

“I felt good,” Lozano said. “I was really excited to play. At first I was scared, but then I just got over it.”

McDowell was impressive for Estancia, as was junior defender Samantha Falasco. Senior goalie Caitlin Leahy made two saves in the first half, and senior Gianna Guyot made one in the second half.

Falasco is one of two returning Dream Team honorees from last year for Estancia. The other one, Cal State Fullerton-bound senior midfielder Alba Barrios, did not play Tuesday night due to a quad injury.

“We’ve got a lot of talent on our roster, and our bench is deeper than ever before,” Estancia Coach Jessica Perry said. “It makes practice more competitive, and it’s going to make the girls work harder to get playing time. It’s a great problem to have ... the future is very bright for this team. We’ve just got to stay healthy and keep working hard.”

Estancia officially opens its season with a nonleague game at Santa Ana Valley on Tuesday. CdM plays at Loara on Dec. 9.