NEWPORT BEACH – After an early lead from a penalty kick, La Mirada was able to hold off Corona del Mar’s attack and secure a 2-0 victory in the CIF-SS Division 2 girls soccer quarterfinals at Corona del Mar High on Friday afternoon.
La Mirada (19-4-2) will play Temecula Valley in the semifinals Tuesday.
The Matadors won back-to-back CIF-SS championships in Division 4 before being brought up to Division 2 this season.
Penalties played large in Friday’s game, not just the one that set up Matadors senior defender Natalie Day for a PK goal midway through the first half.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, Corona del Mar (22-1-3) had two players sent off with red cards — one from a double yellow — and that stymied the Sea Kings’ last ditch efforts to tie the score.
Junior midfielder Gabriella Hurtado added a second goal in the final minute, striking it from 22 yards out to seal the victory for La Mirada.
After the first-half goal, the Matadors shifted to a more defense-heavy formation, changing from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, said La Mirada coach David Christensen.
“To get an early goal always kind of puts you in the driver’s seat and allows you to dictate play,” Christiansen said.
The Sea Kings attacked aggressively, led by freshman forward Trinity Rodman and junior mid-forward Elizabeth Lamie, but Coach Bryan Middleton said it was hard to mount an attack when La Mirada constantly had seven players behind the ball.
“It’s tough when you put that many people behind the ball,” Middleton said. “We had a few opportunities. Nothing seem to fall for us in front of the box.”
Even down two players late in the game, the Sea Kings kept the pedal on the floor and nearly came up with the equalizer. But the touch from sophomore forward Celeste Wayne went wide left, and the ensuing goal kick led to Hurtado’s goal.
The closest the Sea Kings came to scoring was early in the first half. Rodman stuck it from the edge of the box into the upper left corner, but La Mirada’s junior goalkeeper Melissa Torres made an outstanding diving save.
Torres finished with seven saves. Senior Ally Lozano had four saves in Corona del Mar’s goal.
