Boys soccer: Tars Wahl off CdM, 2-1

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - First-year Newport Harbor High boys soccer coach

Kevin Esparza appears to have figured out the Sailors’ blueprint for

success. And, not surprisingly, it has a lot to do with where he has

chosen to place his Wahl.

Senior captain Tyson Wahl, whose commitment to the under-17 national

team took him away from Newport last season, played his second straight

game at sweeper Saturday, after spending the first seven games of the

season at midfield.

Wahl’s ability to anchor the defense and also kick-start the offense,

helped the visiting Tars earn a 2-1 nonleague win over Back Bay rival

Corona del Mar.

“I think defense is going to be more his natural position at the next

level, so I decided to move him back there from midfield two games ago,”

Esparza said.

It’s hardly coincidental that Esparza terms Wahl’s first two games on

the back line -- including an 0-0 tie earlier this week against El Modena

-- as Harbor’s best two performances of the campaign.

“I think our guys just relax a little more when they know Tyson is

back there to cover for any mistakes,” Esparza said. “He gives us a whole

new confidence level.”

Intensity level was another reason the Sailors (4-4-1) were able to

claim Back Bay bragging rights over the Sea Kings (3-5-2), according to

Esparza.

“I think playing a rivalry game really helped put us in the mind-set

for league, said Esparza, whose squad opens its Sea View League schedule

Wednesday at Aliso Niguel.

“I thought everybody played well and I thought we deserved to win. We

created many chances on offense that we couldn’t finish, but I like the

way we played.”

CdM Coach Pat Callaghan, whose team opens Pacific Coast League play

Wednesday at home against Laguna Beach, was also pleased with his squad’s

effort.

“We have to be proud of the way we played, especially after the first

seven minutes,” said Callaghan, who told his players in his postgame

address “they were ready to take (the PCL) by storm.”

The Sailors opened the scoring Saturday when Wahl converted a penalty

kick in the 28th minute. The chance was created when junior forward Jose

Serpas was taken down in the 18-yard box, an automatic penalty shot.

The Sea Kings answered just more than seven minutes later on what

Callaghan called “a very beautiful goal.”

Senior sweeper Andy Almquist triggered the scoring chance with a

well-placed chip from midfield that floated toward a pack of players

about 15 yards in front of the right goal post.

CdM junior Tristan Harris leaped and headed the ball toward the

opposite corner of the goal and it arced into the net to bring the hosts

even.

“That thing went about 60 yards and through about eight of our

players,” Esparza said of the CdM tally.

Both teams finished the first half with six shots and each keeper,

Newport’s Hector Campos and CdM’s Geoff Collier, had three saves before

the break.

Newport came out storming in the second half as a Wahl drive caromed

off the crossbar in the 44th minute. The rebound came directly to a

Harbor attacker in front, but his one-timer went wide of the open net,

prompting groans of frustration from the Newport sideline.

Serpas, however, eased the Sailors’ collective pain by scoring the

game-winner, assisted by junior Ramon Zaccuri, just two minutes later.

Zaccuri poked a pass ahead to Serpas, who broke free on the right

wing. Serpas quickly delivered a low, hard shot, which went through the

charging keeper and into the net.

Serpas, who had a team-leading four shots, earned praise from Esparza,

while teammates Matt Tracy and David Marshall also had shots bounce off

the goal post.

CdM’s Almquist also had a direct kick kiss off the post and his

overall play, including clearing several chances in front of his own

goal, was a CdM highlight.

Newport finished with 15 shots to CdM’s 10, while Campos had 10 saves

including a diving stop near the post just after the Sailors’ had taken

their final lead.

Collier totaled seven saves.