CdM earns CIF berth

CORONA DEL MAR — What happens Wednesday matters, but Monday afternoon, the Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer team was just happy to celebrate two victories.

The Sea Kings defeated University High, 3-0, and CdM clinched a spot in the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.

The Sea Kings (12-7-3, 5-3 in the Pacific Coast League), whose regular season is over, have at least a share of second place as they await the results of league games played Wednesday.

The results will determine whether CdM is the second- or third-place representative from the league, which carries weighty ramifications.

Should Irvine defeat league champion Laguna Hills Wednesday, the Vaqueros would join the Sea Kings in a second-place tie. Since the teams split their two league games, a coin flip would determine the league’s Nos. 2 and 3 playoff representatives.

“It’s pretty cool to know automatically we’re second place in league no matter what happens,” said CdM Coach Bryan Middleton, who has led the Sea Kings to the playoffs five times in six years. “But we’d rather take second place alone.”

That’s because as a third-place representative, CdM would almost undoubtedly face a league champion on the road in the first round of the playoffs, a tough climb.

If Irvine loses or ties, CdM will earn the league’s No. 2 playoff designation, which would give it a chance at a first-round home game.

Monday though, the Sea Kings were just happy to know their playoff future was secured.

“It’s a big relief,” said senior co-captain Alex Elias. “We’re excited to make it to playoffs. Hopefully, we’ll take it game-by-game and we can win.”

But those logistics were an afterthought for four seniors on the team, including co-captain Lexi Hensen, who scored two unassisted goals, one in the first half and one in the second.

Junior forward AJ Rome scored in the 40th minute after Trojans goalkeeper Aussie Dufault punched out a corner kick from sophomore Alex Reinach. The ball bounced off Dufault’s hand straight toward Rome, who kicked it in to end the first half at 2-0.

For Hensen, it was a perfect way to end the regular season.

“It worked out really nice,” Hensen said. “I’m really happy to end on that note. Hopefully, we keep going on to CIF, but it was a good last game.”

Hensen is the only senior exploring the possibility of playing college soccer, and she’s currently talking with two schools, but nothing is set.

Both Hensen and Elias said they were pleased with this season’s team, which they said had the best chemistry of any during their four years at Corona del Mar.

“I don’t remember the seniors from my freshman year doing that much for me, as we’ve tried to incorporate them in our program,” Elias said. “Since they’re new, they’re very hesitant in the beginning. It’s easy to welcome them in. Lexi and I, when we became captains, definitely wanted to make sure the freshmen and everyone fit in and didn’t feel they were being left out or excluded and there were no cliques. That was something we talked about before we became captains.”

Hensen and Elias will leave the team in young hands. Scarlett Fallon, Lindsey Luke, Tessa Andujar, and Jordan Dillion, who was injured this season, are freshmen who will likely comprise the core of the Sea Kings’ future leadership. The four play together on the Slammers Futbol Club team, and have been instrumental to the team’s success thus far. Luke had five saves to earn the shutout for Sea Kings.

“I have a lot of confidence for the future,” Hensen said. There’s a lot of talent on this team, young talent. If they keep playing like they’re playing now, they’re going to be great.”

SORAYA NADIA MCDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].