Girls soccer: Final reward

Barry Faulkner

SANTA ANA - If, as some believe, it’s the journey that counts, the

Newport Harbor High girls soccer team can look back upon its trek to

Saturday’s Excalibur Tournament championship game with nothing but pride.

But, once the Sailors reached that destination -- an unprecedented run

for a team that opened the season 0-4-1 and had gotten past the first

round of this prestigious event only once, five seasons ago -- there

wasn’t much to celebrate on a rain-soaked field at Foothill High.

Highly touted Santa Margarita (9-1-2), ranked No. 4 in Orange County

coming into the tournament but sure to move up, perhaps even to the top

spot, scored in the first 31 seconds. The Eagles built a 3-0 halftime

lead and eventually earned a 4-0 triumph.

“It’s no embarrassment to lose to Santa Margarita,” Newport Coach

Jason Sorrell said. “I was extremely proud of what we did in our first

four games (all wins leading up to the final). To finish second among 32

teams is tremendous.”

Saturday morning’s semifinal win over Marina, 3-2, on penalty kicks

after the two teams tied, 2-2, capped an unlikely run for the Sailors

(5-5-1), who defeated El Dorado, 1-0, Buena Park, 1-0, and Dana Hills,

4-2, on the way to the semifinals. The victory over Marina, however, also

appeared to drain Sorrell’s standouts.

“We weren’t ready to play (against Santa Margarita),” Sorrell said.

“Before the game I could tell. (The Eagles) were all running around

kicking the ball and our girls were standing around shivering.”

The Eagles sent a collective shiver through the Sailors early, when

Alix Cohen converted an assist from Brittany Perkowski for a 1-0 lead

with just 31 seconds elapsed.

“(Newport) had been on a Cinderella run, but that (quick goal) was

reality,” said Santa Margarita Coach Chuck Morales, whose team outscored

its five tournament foes, 18-0.

Dominating play the entire first half, the Eagles added goals by

Shannon Foley and Amy Rodriguez in the fifth and 29th minute,

respectively, to make the second half all but an exercise.

Shannon Munoz finished out the scoring in the 75th minute, helping the

Eagles earn a 19-3 shot advantage.

Freshman defender Erin Hardy was a constant obstacle to Santa

Margarita attackers and Sorrell said such play was indicative of Hardy’s

effort all tournament long.

Hardy was joined on the all-tournament team by fellow Sailors Amy

Burlingham, Amy Ross and Tory Manchester.

Burlingham, a junior, and Ross, a senior, scored goals in the 23rd and

67th minute, respectively, against Marina. Ross, Manchester and Lauren

Birchfield converted their penalty kicks against the Vikings, while

goalie Kara DeMille had one penalty-kick save to help the Tars advance.

DeMille made five saves against the Eagles.

Santa Margarita defeated No. 3-ranked Aliso Niguel, 2-0, in its

semifinal.

Sorrell said the tournament should give his girls confidence as they

continue to prepare for the Sea View League schedule, which opens Jan. 8

at Aliso Niguel.

“Our goal this week was to get ourselves right going into league,”

Sorrell said. “The key (to the turnaround) has been our work rate. The

kids have just been working harder.”

Sorrell hopes that will continue into 2002, as the Sailors continue

Sea View preparation with games against Mater Dei, Thursday, and Back Bay

rival Corona del Mar, Saturday at 1 p.m. on the Sea Kings’ field.