Newport Harbor girls’ soccer strikes early in win over rival Corona del Mar
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The Newport Harbor High girls’ soccer team could suit up only seniors this year and still have a full squad.
The Sailors have 17 seniors and they know how to win, especially against rival Corona del Mar.
Newport Harbor blanked CdM 3-0 on Tuesday night at Davidson Field, continuing its recent dominance over its Back Bay rival.
Senior co-captain Sadie Hoch started off the scoring five minutes in, taking the corner kick from the left by fellow senior Lily Achak and heading it into the goal near the far post.
“I mean, Lily literally put it right to my head,” Hoch said with a laugh after the game. “If I would have missed it, that would have been pretty bad. It always feels good to score early against CdM, any team really, to kill the mood and get the game going.”
Hoch, a midfielder bound for the University of Texas, is well aware of her perfect record against CdM during her high school career. Newport Harbor overall is 7-0-4 in its last 11 matches against the Sea Kings.
The Sailors improved to 10-2-3 overall, and 2-0 in the Sunset League. Coach Justin Schroeder said the team hopes to get into the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs this year.
They doubled their lead against CdM after another corner kick by Achak, this one from the right side. Instead of booting it into the box, she connected with senior Ella Knox to her left, and Knox booted a cross-cage beauty into the upper corner from about 25 yards.
“That was a shot that no one was going to save,” CdM coach Bryan Middleton said. “That was a banger, a beautiful shot.”
Sailors sophomore Maddy Michel scored the final goal of the match in the closing minutes, after Hoch fed her with a quick pass on the counterattack.
Corona del Mar fell to 11-4 overall and 0-3 in league, but senior co-captain Bella Thomas could be heard after the game telling her teammates she was proud of their effort.
Middleton agreed.
“I thought we rose to the occasion,” he said, adding that CdM’s game plan was to play strong defense and counterattack. “That was probably the best Battle of the Bay that we’ve played in about six years ... If we play that way and we end up in Division 2 in the playoffs possibly, I give our team some chances to make a little run.”
Sea Kings sophomore Tahlia Torrandell nearly cut the visitors’ deficit in half in the closing minutes, with a shot off the left post. Senior striker Kai Tsakaris, a Florida commit, nearly scored in the first half, but Newport Harbor senior goalkeeper Audrey Burns made a diving save.
Middleton said Tsakaris could have played her last game for CdM on Tuesday night, as she is leaving for a soccer trip to Brazil and has been deemed ineligible when she returns.
The Sailors earned the shutout, with goalkeepers Burns and Cooper Dick combining for seven saves behind a back line of senior Audrey Herron and sophomores Caroline Harner and Leah Showalter.
Senior co-captain Bridget Taketa is also a key piece as a defensive midfielder, with Hoch calling her a brick wall because nobody gets through her.
“Our defense is super-strong this year,” Herron said. “I trust everyone that I play with, so even in those moments where there’s a breakdown, I know that I have outlets. I feel good playing in the back with the people that are there.”
Newport Harbor hosts Marina on Thursday night in continued Sunset League action, while CdM has a bye on Thursday and hosts Marina on Tuesday.
The league is doing a single-round format this year prior to a league tournament, which begins on Jan. 30. The league’s regular-season champion has a bye in the first round of the league tournament.
The Sailors’ seniors hope for an extended CIF run to follow that.
“It’s a pretty close-knit senior group, and that’s just part of our culture, our senior group staying together,” Schroeder said. “Whether they’re on the field or on the sideline rooting for each other, it’s pretty important for them to win this game. But I think we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping our eyes on the big picture.”
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