Sailors salvage a tie against Vaqueros

IRVINE -- In what has already been a whirlwind season, the Newport Harbor High girls’ soccer team escaped defeat and tied Irvine, 2-2, on Tuesday.

“Our play all season has been kind of like a rollercoaster,” said second-year Coach Phillip D’Agostino. “We start out really strong, then we lose some intensity. But I’m really proud of the girls because they stayed in the whole game. They didn’t give up when they had the opportunity.”

After being down, 1-0, on a goal by Irvine sophomore Alyssa O’Dea, Samantha Hill charged up the middle four minutes later to even the score in the 25th minute.

Irvine, following the advice of Coach Cindy Peronto -- who said whichever team played best in the beginning of the second half would take the victory -- was the first to score in the second half.

Irvine’s Kyrsten O’Dea took advantage of an open field and worked her way past Sailors goalkeeper Mary Giberson, then jogged her way toward the goal for the 2-1 lead.

The Sailors, who had lost two of their last three league games, used their frustration to fuel their intensity.

“It’s been a tough season,” said senior co-captain Stephanie Lambrakis. “We’re tired of losing these heartbreakers, especially when we’re right in it. We’re sick of it. We were in that whole game, and we knew we needed to turn it around sometime.”

After the Vaqueros took the lead for the second time, Lambrakis drove to the right side with three minutes to play. After defeating her defender, she took an open shot that was blocked. The ball ended up in a crowd of white and blue jerseys, where Newport Harbor senior Amanda Laz kicked it in for the tying goal.

A similar play on the opposite end left Irvine junior Danielle Dintino open for a shot, but Arielle Rockwell slid and deflected the ball, spoiling Irvine’s chances for the win.

“We were dominating a lot of it,” said Giberson, who had six saves. “We had a defensive breakdown, but we knew we were still in it. We were pumped up.”

The Sailors, who used an explosive second half to capture a postseason berth in the ‘04-05 season, hope for a repeat this year after a 1-2-1 start to league.

“We want to take league,” said D’Agostino. “It’s going to be hard for us. We just have to take it one game at a time.”

D’Agostino pointed to the defense, which has adjusted to the graduation of All-CIF defender Erin Hardy -- now at UCLA. With freshman Christina O’Tousa stepping in for Hardy, D’Agostino said the adjustment process hasn’t been too difficult.

“She is an anchor on our defense,” said D’Agostino. “I’m very proud of her. She has poise and maturity. And I feel safe with Mary [Giberson] as a leader. “Hopefully, if we’re on all cylinders, we’ll have a year like last year.

Next up for Newport is Thursday’s match at Laguna Hills, which tied Irvine, 1-1, earlier this season.

“I definitely thought we played very well tonight,” D’Agostino said. “But in this league, everyone is really strong. We can’t take any games for granted. “

Sea View League

Newport Harbor 2, Irvine 2

Score by Halves