Girls soccer: Newport’s comeback falls short

Joseph Boo

IRVINE - Thursday’s game between Newport Harbor High and Irvine’s

girls soccer team was a real barnburner to say the least. That is, if you

saw the second half. The Sailors almost pulled off a wild comeback from a

2-0 deficit against their Sea View League rival, but the Vaqueros held on

for a 3-2 triumph.

It’s Irvine’s (7-10-2, 2-3 in league) second win over the Sailors this

year, and it drops Newport to 1-4 in league, 2-9-2 overall.

“I really hate to lose this one,” Newport Coach Jason Sorrell said.

The first half was pretty lethargic for Newport and Irvine. Both teams

exchanged long kicks for most of the half. But Irvine got the lucky

bounces, two to be exact. It scored in the 25th minute when Holly Rife’s

floater found just enough space between Newport’s goalie and the

crossbar.

Irvine’s second goal came 18 minutes later. When Irvine’s Kim Tiampo

drove the ball, it ricocheted off Tiampo, sailed toward Newport’s goal,

and again squeezed in just over the goalie.

The second half got rough, with two yellow cards issued. The Sailors also

came out firing and scored in the half’s very first minute. Newport’s

Lauren Birchfield found the ball in a melee in front of an empty Irvine

goal and knocked it in. Ten minutes later, Satya Tweena scored to tie the

game at 2-2.

“We did absolutely nothing in the first half,” Sorrell said. “We had to

increase our intensity, and that’s what we did in the second.”

“We have to play with intensity for the whole game, not just parts of

it.”

Newport later had a chance to take the lead when a hands violation was

called on Irvine just outside its penalty box. But the Sailors’ shot was

cleared away. In the 20th minute, Nichole Fournier knocked in a rebound

for Irvine’s winning goal.

Newport goalie Heather Metcalf had five saves, including a daring grab on

a Irvine breakaway. Sorrell also cited Meredith Miller for her strong

play on defense.