Boys soccer: Sailors lose by a head, or two

Tony Altobelli

ALISO VIEJO - Four teams, one point apart, only three playoff

spots. Someone has to be the odd man and for the Newport Harbor High boys

soccer team, the shortest straw just got drawn.

Not only was a trip to the CIF Southern Section playoffs on the line,

but a piece of the Sea View League title was up for grabs.

Unfortunately for the Sailors, all that went away following their 2-0

league loss to host Aliso Niguel.

The loss eliminates Newport (4-6-6, 2-3-3 in league) from playoff

consideration, while the Wolverines (8-5-6, 3-1-4) grab a piece of the

Sea View League crown.

“Today, they just wanted it more than we did,” a dejected Newport

Coach Matty West said. “The better team created more opportunities and

they took advantage of them.”

Aliso Niguel broke the scoreless tie with second-half goals from Brock

Schermerhorn (63rd minute) and Matt Devey (80th minute).

The score could have been much worse if not for the outstanding saves

from Sailors’ goalie Duke Burchell.

The senior keeper had 12 saves, including three point-blank stops

right in front of the goal. His saves kept Newport in the game.

“You can’t replace a guy like Duke in goal,” West said. “He did a

great job for us, not only today, but all season long. We wouldn’t have

had a shot at the playoffs if not for him.”

The first half had the Sailors attacking into a steady breeze,

allowing the Wolverines to put pressure on early.

Davey, Schermerhorn and Brandon Sylvia all had scoring opportunities

but their shots either went wide or went into the arms of Burchell.

Eight of Burchell’s 12 saves came in the first half and the despite

the constant pressure, both teams were scoreless.

Senior forward Trey Meek, who had seven goals in the past three

meetings against the Wolverines, was shadowed by Kevin Murray. Meek

manufactured a couple of scoring opportunities, but nothing came out of

it.

With the wind at the Sailors’ back, Newport put some solid pressure on

Aliso Niguel goalie Mike Land (four saves).

A near Newport breakaway was tipped away by Ethan Shimer and a free

kick by Meek sailed high.

Schermerhorn found the back of the net with a shot, but the goal was

called off due to offsides, giving Newport another life.

Burchell made two brilliant saves on back-to-back shots by

Schermerhorn and Davey, keeping the game deadlocked at zero.

Newport had another opportunity with a free kick, but Meek’s shot

rifled off the Wolverines’ defensive wall.

Finally, off a free kick from Davey, Schermerhorn headed the ball into

the lower-left corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Newport junior Tyler Simmons nearly tied the game, but his header off

a cross-field pass went just wide.

In the 80th minute, Davey managed to send in another goal via the

cranium to put the game away.

“We’re going to be all right,” West said. “Our program is healthy and

we have a good number of quality players returning. I’m proud of the way

our guys battled all season. We put ourselves in a position to win league

and reach the playoffs. It just didn’t work out for us.”