Boys soccer: Sailors, Eagles battle to stalemate

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - In the span of one minute, the Newport Harbor High

boys soccer team not only turned a game around, but perhaps its entire

season.

Trailing, 2-0, and threatening to start the season 0-3-1, the Sailors

responded with two goals in 60 seconds to salvage a 2-2 tie with visiting

Estancia Monday at Harper Community Center.

“This was a big challenge for us,” Newport Coach Matt West said.

“Estancia is the defending CIF (Southern Section Division IV) champs and

we played right along with them today. It was nice to see our players

rise to the challenge.”

Both of Newport’s goals were scored by senior Tyler Simmons, in the

71st and 72nd minute of the contest.

“Tyler is our team leader, both on and off the field,” West said.

“He’s a great role model for our younger players and he made the big

plays like a team leader should.”

The Eagles (0-1-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half on goals

by Javier Ramirez and Victor Cruz and appeared to be on their way to

their first win of the season.

“We just fell asleep out there for about a minute,” Estancia Coach

Steve Crenshaw said. “The first goal we gave up kind of shocked the team

and the second goal happened because we didn’t recover from the first

goal. Basically it came down to a lack of experience on our part.”

Juan Zarate helped the Eagles get on the scoreboard in the 31st minute

with some nifty ball-handling moves. He weaved through the Sailors and

sent a nice pass over to Ramirez, who buried the shot into the goal.

Three minutes later, after a Newport defender failed to gain

possession of the ball, Nickolai Doudtchenko sped up the field and sent a

perfect pass over to Cruz for a 2-0 Eagles’ advantage.

“All in all, we played pretty well out there,” Crenshaw said. “Both

teams out there today are pretty young and in my opinion, the best soccer

is still ahead of both programs.”

The Sailors (0-2-2) had numerous chances to put some goals on the

scoreboard, but the bounces weren’t going their way.

“We know we’re a team that is going to put some goals on the

scoreboard,” West said. “We’ve been a little snake-bitten at times, so

hopefully, this will be the push we needed to get our offense going.

Junior midfielder Kevin Campos used some good, old-fashioned grit and

determination to maintain possession through a sea of Eagles’ defenders

and found Simmons for Newport’s first score.

Following the goal, junior Adam Kerns also battled his way down field

and sent a nice cross-field pass to Simmons, who headed the ball into the

goal.

“That first goal really got our offense going,” West said. “Kevin and

Adam each made some big-time plays for us to set up those goals.”

Estancia tried to regain the lead, but freshman goalie Jesse Forsythe

(10 saves) made the big saves when necessary.

Forsythe is playing for senior Duke Burchell, who is still playing for

the Sailors’ football team.

“Jesse has done everything we’ve asked of him and then some,” West

said.

Not to be outdone, Eagles’ goalkeeper, Giovanni Gonzalez had 13 saves,

including three or four of the stellar variety.

Newport Harbor continues its “Defending CIF Champion World Tour, 2000”

section of its schedule with Mater Dei (Division II champs) Wednesday at

3:15 p.m., while Estancia plays at Santa Ana at 2:30 p.m.