Girls soccer: Sailors dominate but lose

Barry Faulkner

LA CRESCENTA - There is life after sudden death. But members of the

Newport Harbor High girls soccer team may need a few days of perspective

and some spiritual resuscitation before they can fully appreciate it,

following a devastating loss Friday.

After dominating host Crescenta Valley for 119 minutes (two 40-minute

regulation halves, followed by two 10-minute overtime periods and all but

a few seconds of the second of two 10-minute sudden-death overtime

sessions), the Sailors were brought to their knees by a CIF Southern

Section Division II quarterfinal-winning goal mere seconds before the two

teams would have settled things with penalty kicks.

Crescenta Valley junior fullback Brittany Del Soldato, who had not

scored all season, intercepted a pass near midfield and broke unguarded

toward the Newport Harbor goal.

The Newport goalkeeper charged out to try to cut down the shooting

angle, but Del Soldato lofted a shot over her and into the net to spark

diametrically opposed emotion from both teams.

The Falcons, including those on the sideline, immediately began

sprinting toward Del Soldato, leaping and shrieking in exultation.

Several Newport players simply dropped in there tracks and wept, while

others stood crying in disbelief holding their heads in their hands.

The unlikely ending terminated the best postseason run in Newport

girls soccer history and also negated a sterling performance by the

visitors, who outshot the hosts, 24-5.

“Now I know how the El Toro coach felt,” said Newport Harbor Coach

Jason Sorrell, referring to the Chargers’ 6-3 loss in penalty kicks to

Crescenta Valley after playing to a 3-3 standoff in Wednesday’s second

round. “He said his team dominated about 75% of the game, but I thought

we dominated about 95% today. I thought we did enough to win the game. We

sure didn’t deserve to lose. It’s very hard, because the girls played so

well.

“We only gave up (two) goals in our last 10 games. We may use this as

motivation for next year, but that doesn’t help the way our seniors are

feeling right now. Still, tomorrow is a new day, life goes on and I think

we’ve got to feel good about what we’ve done this year.”

The Sailors (13-7-4), making the program’s first CIF quarterfinal

appearance after matching last year’s school record of two playoff wins,

did everything but score against the Falcons (20-6-3).

Forwards Amy Burlingham and Amy Ross, as well as Kate Younglove, Tory

Manchester, Taryn Flamson, Tricia Orth and Lauren Birchfield directed

headers and both right- and left-footed blasts, chips and hooking drives

at the Crescenta Valley defense, trying to extend the Tars’ unbeaten

streak to 10 games.

But that defense, including Del Soldato marking Parade All-American

Burlingham with determination, displayed the tenacity that has led to 19

shutouts, including 15 in its last 18 contests.

“Our defense has kept us in every game,” Crescenta Valley Coach Reggie

Rivas said. “And, sure enough, our defense scored for us today. That was

(Del Soldato’s) first goal all year. It was incredible.”

Rivas, however, showered praise on the Sailors, who allowed only one

shot on goal until the fateful final seconds.

“That’s a very good team, the No. 3 seed,” Rivas said. “Newport

dominated, but, just like the Patriots showed in the Super Bowl, anything

can happen in the playoffs.”

Crescenta Valley ‘keeper Kristen Cameron made five saves, the majority

of which she bobbled, then recovered, before Harbor attackers could

follow up.

None of Cameron’s saves were spectacular, as most of Harbor’s best

scoring chances went wide of the goal posts.

While the midfield and front line was controlling most of the flow,

the back line of Flamson, a junior sweeper, freshman stopper Erin Hardy,

as well as fullbacks Birchfield and Kristin Nahin, consistently turned

the Falcons away. Sophomore Barbara Julian also played well at sweeper,

spelling Flamson, who needed several minutes to recover after the back of

her head hit the ground on a hard fall.

Taylor Giacomaro and Nichelle McRorie also contributed to the Sailors’

cause, as did sophomore goalie Kara DeMille, who courageously collided

with an attacker to thwart a would-be scoring chance late in the first

half.