Boys soccer: Sailors send scare to El Dorado

Tony Altobelli

PLACENTIA - It’s a sound goalies love and goal scorers hate,

especially in the middle of a playoff game.

It’s the ringing sound of soccer slamming off a goal post and for Newport

Harbor, that sound was heard one time too many in Friday’s 2-1 CIF

Southern Section Division II boys soccer loss.

Trailing, 2-0 and with a free kick, Newport’s hottest goal scorer, Trey

Meek, ripped a shot off the right goal post with 20 minutes remaining in

the game. The Sailors scored shortly thereafter, making the unfortunate

ping echo louder in the visitors’ heads.

For Coach Matt West, however, bad breaks are part of the game and he

acccepts that completely.

“I tell you, we left it all on the field today,” West said. “There’s no

regrets. El Dorado is a great team and we expect them to go very far in

the playoffs.”

It’s a pretty solid expectation considering the Golden Hawks are ranked

No. 2 in Division II with a 26-4 record and have outscored their

opponents, 107-25, this season.

Both teams were missing key players. El Dorado’s Ignacio Sid, who leads

the team with 34 goals, did not play because of an injured knee. His

status for the Hawks’ next playoff game is uncertain.

Newport was without sophomore Tyson Wahl, who was invited to the Olympic

Developmental Program in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We definitely could have used him today,” West said. “But the team

totally understands that he had to do what he had to do. It’s a great

opportunity for him.”

What was not so opportunistic was the persistant winds blowing across the

field at El Dorado High. The Hawks took the wind and downhill slope of

the field and went on a relentless attack right from the opening whistle.

“El Dorado definitely knows its home field advantage,” West said. “We

were on the defensive for most of the first half.”

After a couple of near misses, El Dorado’s Ryan Valdez ripped a shot from

a sharp angle. The shot deflected off a Newport player and found its way

into the net in the 13th minute, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Fifteen minutes later, Valdez fed a nice touch pass over to Mike

Hargreaves, who found the net, stretching the lead to 2-0.

“Anytime you spot a tough team like El Dorado a couple of goals, it’s

really tough to come back,” West said.

Newport also lost the services of senior Scott Perkins for a better part

of the first half. He received a nasty gash to the forehead from an

accidental head butt.

Perkins returned in the second half and despite the injury, had eight

headers and played tough.

“He’s a manchild,” West said of Perkins. “He’s played like that all

season for us. That’s a fitting way for him to end this season.”

Goalkeeper Duke Burchell had eight saves, most coming in the Hawks’

first-half onslaught.

Finally, with the wind at the Sailors’ back, Newport started gaining some

offensive momentum. “We had to throw away any caution in the second

half,” West said.

After taking zero shots in the first half, the Sailors (8-8-5) started

gaining some ground.

Hawks’ goalie Danny Kennedy was called for kicking the ball outside of

the goal area, resulting in a free kick.

Before El Dorado could get completely set, Meek ripped the shot just past

the outstretched fingers of Kennedy, but in the way was the goal post.

The Hawks cleared away the deflection and a golden opportunity was

missed.

Kennedy was later charged with a yellow card for abusive language,

setting up another Sailors’ free kick.

Meek ripped another shot that was deflected, but before the Hawks could

corral the ball, senior Jimmy Sanders headed the ball into the goal in

the 74th minute, cutting the lead in half.

That was as close as Newport would get, however, as time ran out on the

Sailors’ season.

“I think we performed better than expected,” West said. “We went up

against a lot of tough teams and we hung in there with all of them. We

did well reaching the playoffs and winning a playoff game. Next year,

we’ll raise the bar and try to go higher.”