Corona del Mar girls’ junior varsity soccer team defeats Costa Mesa 5-1

On a cold, damp Tuesday afternoon, the Corona del Mar High girls’ junior varsity team ran past Costa Mesa High, 5-1, at CdM. Costa Mesa struck early, netting a shot off a cross in the sixth minute. However, the Mustangs never really tested CdM goalkeeper Taryn Greenberg again.

CdM responded quickly with freshman Rachel Smith scoring on a breakaway goal in the ninth minute. Despite a couple of deep puddles that brought the ball to a stop, Smith ran the ball all the way to the goal and struck a sharp shot just inside the right post. In the 10th minute, freshman Anne Capaldi corralled a loose ball in traffic and pushed it past a screened Costa Mesa keeper.

CdM kept the pressure up with strong defensive and midfield play, the ball rarely making it to the CdM defensive zone. Defenders Brittany Brown, Emily Romano, Erin Almaraz and Reede Dahlfors kept the ball away from the CdM goal, while sophomores Rachel Kerce, Hannah Mais and Natalie Rempalski had an answer for nearly every Costa Mesa pass. Almaraz joined the scoring in the 22nd minute, with a high drive that fell just under the crossbar and into the goal from 30 yards out.

Costa Mesa couldn’t keep up with CdM’s speed, as Anne Capaldi netted a second goal in the 27th minute off of a corner kick. Senior Lauren Belove capped the scoring in the 33rd minute with a shot from the left post. Junior Katie DeMiranda helped push the ball up the field for CdM.

In the second half, CdM kept the pressure up with a few shots clanging off of the post and off the side netting. Strong defensive play from Nica Sabouni, Alyssa Williams and Bailey Sprowl limited Costa Mesa to just two shots in the second half against freshman keeper Paige Krueger. Rachel Kerce’s speed and ball control through the midfield continually set up fellow midfielders Kati Burke, Scarlet Acuna and forwards Victoria Juhasz, Riley Lazar and Stephanie Joyce.