One win away

Newport Harbor High’s field hockey team will try to do something

it has never done, go through a season undefeated and win the

Tournament of Champions.

The Sailors will have that opportunity Saturday at noon at

Pleasant View School in Huntington Beach when they play for the T of

C championship, after the Sailors defeated Santa Ana in overtime

stroke play.

Newport and Santa Ana played a 10-minute overtime period of

seven-on-seven sudden death, but didn’t score, but Newport gained the

upper hand in the stroke play that followed. In stroke play, each

team has five players that stand 7 yards out from the goal cage and

take shots.

Tiffany Vandersloot scored Newport’s first goal in the shootout in

the upper-right corner and then Kerrie Gates and Amanda Wittman both

put the ball into the net to secure the win.

“It was a really great shootout,” said Newport Coach Sharon Wolfe.

“Each player from Newport and Santa Ana stroked the ball really

firm.”

Wittman made 10 saves, on what Wolfe called a “fast field.”

Newport changed its formation, going to a 1-3 along the front

line, Wolfe said.

Ashley Gleason and Danielle Pfaff provided a spark along the front

line, Wolfe said, and got help from forward Kaley Nix and midfielders

Jill Whitfield, Chloe Cox, Vandersloot, Gates and Dana Owad.

Reese Simmons was called up from junior varsity and “gave

(Newport) solid minutes in the first and second halves, Wolfe added.

With seven minutes remaining, Whitfield collided with another

player and butted heads and lay on the ground for a few minutes

before getting up, Wolfe said. Whitfield participated in the

shootout.

“We’ll have to get that checked out tomorrow,” Wolfe said.

Newport and Harvard tied 2-2 the only time the teams met this

season on an Astroturf field at Moorpark College.

Wolfe said playing on Santa Ana’s field Thursday should help

Newport with an expected up-tempo game against Harvard-Westlake.

“Pleasant View Elementary School has short grass that gives more

of a turf-like feel,” Wolfe said.

The school is at 16692 Landau Ln.