Girls soccer: Sailors take care of Troy

Tony Altobelli

FULLERTON - One thing is for sure about the Newport Harbor High

girls soccer team. The Sailors sure do learn from their mistakes.

After a sloppy 5-3 wild card win over Loara on Wednesday, Newport

increased its intensity and defeated host Troy, 3-1, in first-round

action.

With the win, Newport (12-6-4) will host Edison Tuesday at 3 p.m. in

second-round action.

“We did a much better job on both sides of the ball,” Newport Coach

Jason Sorrell said. “Last game, we concede three silly goals. Today, we

gave up a silly goal, but it wasn’t during a crucial point in the game.

We knew we had to step it up and we did just that.”

Satya Twena led the Sailors’ attack with a goal and an assist on five

shots, while Amy Ross and Taryn Flamson each added goals as well.

“Satya really stepped up her level of play,” Sorrell said. “She hasn’t

had the best of years, but she came out today fired up to do well. It was

great to see.”

Twena helped spark Newport’s first goal in the 20th minute when she

fed a nice pass through three Warriors’ defenders right to Ross, who

chipped a shot into the upper portion of the goal for a 1-0 Sailors’

advantage.

“That first goal is so important during playoff time,” Sorrell said.

“They get even more important the farther in the playoffs you get. One

goal could be the whole ball game.”

Two minutes later, Twena nearly made it 2-0, but her shot smacked off

the crossbar.

Troy (17-5-2) stuck in its own defensive zone for most of the first

half, nearly tied the game with a strong rush up the field, led by

forward Katie Rattican. She lobbed a shot toward Newport’s goal, but her

shot also met with the crossbar.

Minutes later, fellow Warriors’ forward Lauryn Welch took a shot

toward Newport goalie KiIssa Tyler and the ball squirted through her

hands, but the Sailors’ defense was quick to recover and sent the ball

out of the zone.

“We really didn’t know too much about this team,” Sorrell said. “We

had heard about Lauryn and Katie, but we were mainly concerned with

playing our style of game. If we can do that, we can play with anybody.”

After a couple of near misses by Newport, Troy nearly tied the game

again when Rattican hustled to a loose ball and outran the defense

including Tyler, leaving an open net. Her shot from about 15 yards out

sailed over the net and Newport dodged another bullet.

The Sailors finally got the breathing room it needed when Flamson

ripped a free kick past Troy’s defensive wall and found the lower-right

corner of the goal in the 62nd minute.

Four minutes later, sophomore Amy Burlingham chipped a nice pass to

Twena, who ripped a shot toward the Warriors’ goal. Goalie Kim Orin

(eight saves) got her fingers on the shot, but the ball had enough juice

to still reach the back of the net for a 3-0 Sailors’ lead.

Rattican finally scored for Troy in the 90th minute, but it was too

little, too late.

Sorrell was extremely impressed with the all-around play from junior

Lauren Birchfield. “She was everywhere out there,” he said. “She was

constantly making the big defensive play and she really helped spark our

offense.”

The second-round matchup will be the third between the Sailors and

Chargers (20-1-5). Newport gave Edison its only loss in the season

opener, 2-1. The Chargers returned the favor later in the year with a 2-0

win over the Sailors.