Sailors win Sunset crown

COSTA MESA - It it were chess Bobby Fischer wouldn’t stand a chance

against Sharon Wolfe and her Newport Harbor High girls field hockey team.

The Sailors’ coach simply has too many pieces to work with.

Tuesday her Sailors swept to their second straight Sunset League

championship with a 2-0 victory over Harvard-Westlake at Harper Community

Center as reserve Rachel Furman, a junior, ignited Newport with a score

off a scramble in the cage with just 17:18 spent.

“It was her best game of the season,” said Wolfe. “She was only in for

a few minutes and boom!”

Kaley Nix added an insurance marker from seven yards out off an assist

from Allison McKenzie with 1:33 left and the Sailors, 16-2-1, 12-1 in

league, were able to celebrate the final moments.

Harvard’s last gasp came with 9:12 left when Amanda Wittman was

challenged in the goal with a solid shot, only to see her dust it off.

“That was a huge save,” said Wolfe.

While the play of Furman and Wittman were the major focus, it was yet

another across-the-board effort by the Sailors, who’ll enter the

Tournament of Champions playoffs on Saturday with their back-to-back

conquests of the Sunset League.