CdM stays calm and collects

NEWPORT COAST — With neighboring campuses and some club crossover on both rosters, familiarity was a theme for the nonleague boys’ soccer game Wednesday night between visiting Corona del Mar High and Sage Hill School.

But when the Lightning opened the scoring in the 14th minute, the Sea Kings found themselves with the unwelcome novelty of being behind for the first time all season.

“I didn’t think we’d lose, but I was like, maybe a tie or something,” said CdM senior captain Reed Williams, who scored two goals to help produce a 3-1 win that upped his team’s record to 4-0.

“We were patient and that’s what helped us,” said Williams, who now has 11 goals this season, one more than he collected in 2008, when he earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division IV recognition and was the Pacific Coast League Offensive Player of the Year. “We didn’t panic after being down for the first time all season. I think it’s actually good for us that we were just patient and composed and kept attacking and attacking, until it finally came.”

Williams exemplified that patience on his first goal, settling a through ball from Chris Burke and calmly, deftly working around two defenders before punching it past the goalkeeper to knot the score in the 21st minute.

CdM, which has now outscored opponents, 17-4, this season, answered Sage’s opening salvo with a surge of its own, pleasing first-year coach George Larsen.

“[The Lightning (1-4)] went up, 1-0, but it seemed to kind of wake us up,” Larsen said. “I think we responded right after the [ensuing] kickoff. Kind of like ‘Hey, let’s go.’ ”

Jack McBean blasted a pair of shots that forced Sage keeper Jake Blitzer to make consecutive diving saves.

CdM continued to control the action, before finally breaking the deadlock just before halftime.

Jack Gorab took a corner kick that was deflected back toward him in the corner. He then lined a cross toward the near post that Clayton Reinhardt redirected in to give the Sea Kings the lead for good.

“I told them at halftime that I liked the response of the boys [to Sage’s goal],” Larsen said. “I liked how they got themselves back into the game and upped their level.”

That level continued skyward after intermission, as CdM, and Williams, finalized the scoring just 14 seconds into the second half.

Matt Francini initiated the sequence, directing a pass toward Greg Allen near the top of the 18-yard box. Allen one-timed it onto the foot of Williams, who had found a seam in the Lightning defense. Williams took two more dribbles before poking the ball inside the left post to edge closer to an attempt at a fourth straight hat trick.

Williams managed five additional shots the rest of the way, but could not reach the magic plateau yet again.

“It might be disappointing for him, but it’s not for me,” Larsen said of Williams just missing yet another hat trick.

Sage Coach Noureddine El-Alam also registered little disappointment, praising his team for a spirited effort.

That effort included Julius Lee heading in a corner kick by Kam Fujii.

“I was impressed with the way we played with heart today,” El-Alam said. “Obviously, CdM is loaded with club players. We are rebuilding, but we actually came to play. We didn’t say ‘Well, we’re going to lose anyway.’ ”

El-Alam singled out senior defender and midfielder Ben Capaldi, as well as Blitzer, who had eight of the Lightning’s 10 saves, before shifting to the field late in the second half.

CdM starter Connor Gaal had three saves, and second-half replacement Alex Mainthow added two.