Newport wins, barely

Bryce Alderton

With the way Newport Harbor High girls soccer coach Jason Sorrell

spoke to his team following its game Thursday you would have thought

the Sailors wound up on the losing end.

Quite the contrary. Newport Harbor (3-6-5, 1-0 in the Sea View

League) won its first league game, 1-0, stretching its winning streak

to three. But Sorrell was not impressed with his team’s effort.

“Taylor Giacamaro and Amy Klippert were the only ones whoput in

100% for the game,” Sorrell said. “We should have won, 4- or 5-0,

with no disrespect to Foothill. We made a couple of mistakes in the

back late in the game and they could have tied it.”

Host Newport outshot the Knights (2-8-2, 0-1 in league), 16-2, and

didn’t allow Foothill a shot in the second half.

The Knights’ best scoring chance came with nine minutes left as

junior midfielder Frankee Kelly stole the ball 15 yards from the

Newport goal and rushed up field but she ran into sophomore Sailor

defender Erin Hardy, who sent the shot attempt toward the near

sideline. Hardy got in the passing lane at 22 yards to thwart another

cross seconds later, helping Newport preserve its slight lead.

The hosts were denied two more shot attempts in the final minutes.

Giacamaro headed a ball from nine yards that went wide right and

Klippert kicked one that curled to the left but missed the goal by

just inches.

Klippert, a freshman, jump-started the two-on-one Newport

advantage that produced the game’s only goal at the 18-minute mark of

the first half.

Taking a throw-in, Klippert raced up the near sideline with senior

Amy Burlingham on her right. Klippert made the cross to the

Burlingham at seven meters and the future University of Texas soccer

player sent the ball into the right side of the net on the ground.

Burlingham has now scored five of the six goals in Newport’s three

straight wins.

Eight minutes following Burlingham’s goal came another great

scoring chance for the Sailors.

Freshman midfielder Krystal Wright tossed the ball from the

sideline toward senior forward Kate Younglove standing 10 yards away.

Younglove one-touched the ball to Burlingham on the right side. The

Parade Magazine All-American dribbled around one defender and lobbed

the ball for Younglove charging toward the goal. Unfortunately, the

ball sailed just over Younglove’s head as momentum carried her into

the back of the net.

“The forwards didn’t get help on the crosses and we didn’t work

the loose balls back into the sets very well,” said Sorrell, who

thought the Sailors might have had a letdown following a 4-0 victory

over Back Bay rival Corona del Mar Tuesday.

“We played our best against CdM,” Sorrell said. “We need to come

out with a consistent effort every single game and can’t afford to

have games like this. When you come to league all the results go out

the window. Anybody can beat anybody.”

Foothill Coach Nancy Doting has eight injured players, but felt

encouraged by her team’s play.

“Obviously we didn’t create much up top but our team is playing

more together,” Doting said. “Obviously we’re upset with the loss but

that was a good team effort.”

Up next for Newport is a 5 p.m. game Tuesday at home against Aliso

Niguel, ranked No. 7 in CIF Southern Section Division I.