Heady play from Sea Kings

Bryce Alderton

Not only did players on Corona del Mar High’s boys soccer team

keep their heads in the game, but they used their craniums to find

the back of the net three times.

Whether on a cross or a deflection off the goalkeeper, host CdM

jump-started its offense after allowing an early University goal and

prevailed, 4-1, in a Pacific Coast League game Friday.

Junior center midfielder Julien Cerutti and forward Danny Whitaker

each had one goal and one assist with Chris Ringstrom and Jeritt

Thayer adding single goals.

Whitaker, Thayer and Ringstrom all scored goals off headers.

Whitaker and Thayer scored goals in the first half as the Sea Kings

(15-4-2, 7-1-0 in league) responded from a 1-0 deficit to take a 3-1

lead at intermission, the turning point according to Cerutti.

“We worked a little bit harder at the end of the half,” Cerutti

said. “We realized we were losing to a team we had beaten 5-0 before.

(Thayer) stepped up and we had some nice passing by (Whitaker) to me

in the middle and I just took it down the field.”

Whitaker paused for three seconds after gaining control and

crossed to Cerutti for the game-winning goal in the 37th minute to

make it, 2-1. Two minutes later Cerutti lobbed a free kick from 20

yards and Thayer stealthily followed the ball’s flight before

connecting with his head and giving the hosts a two-goal advantage.

“(Cerutti) is a gifted player who has a lot of touch,” said CdM

Coach Pat Callaghan. “He’s accurate with the free kicks and

fortunately we have a lot of guys that take advantage of that, Jeritt

Thayer being one of them.”

Ringstrom scored the lone goal of the second half in the 63rd

minute, taking a pass from defender Blake Dillion. University

goalkeeper Luis Dunn, who made 10 saves on 19 shots, came out about

seven yards to try and stop the hard-charging Ringstrom but to no

avail as the junior forward headed in his own rebound.

“(Dillion) and Shane (Collins) are the catalysts for us,”

Callaghan said. “Defense is where it starts.”

CdM did everything to keep University (6-12-1, 3-5) on its own

side of the field Friday. The Trojans managed just four shots and Sea

King goalkeepers Jay Zimmerman and Phil Stemler only had to come out

to smother bouncing balls from a long-range kick.

“You always have to keep your head in the game,” Stemler said.

CdM remains one game behind league-leading Northwood (8-0) which

beat Tesoro, 2-1, Friday. The Timberwolves host the Sea Kings in the

final league meeting Wednesday.