Passing time for Sailors

Bryce Alderton

The Newport Harbor High girls field hockey team has spent much of its

recent practices working on passing.

Tuesday’s 5-0 victory over visiting Fountain Valley to begin

Sunset League play at Harper Community Center provided the stage for

the Sailors to showcase what they’ve learned.

“One-touch passes were clicking,” Newport senior Julia Bernay said

after her three-goal performance. “Everyone was playing well from

back to front and we were able to get it in the cage.”

The Sailors (10-1-3) extended their unbeaten streak to 11 and have

not been scored upon since suffering their only loss of the season, a

1-0 setback to Camarillo Sept. 11.

The Sailors, defending their Tournament of Champions crown, have

outscored their opponents, 31-2, this season.

“I’m really happy with the way the girls have been playing,”

Newport first-year coach Kristy Cross said. “They are really coming

along with their passing. They are looking up before they pass.”

Newport also formed a wall defensively, holding the Barons (0-5-1)

to zero shots, just three days after Fountain Valley tallied 20 shots

in a 5-0 loss to Newport in the Orange County invitational.

“I told them you have to play as if you didn’t know what you did

before,” Cross said. “[The Sailors] played hard. [Senior captain]

Jenny Taylor always stresses not to get cocky.”

Taylor threaded a pass through the middle of the Fountain Valley

defense that Bernay flicked into the cage to up the Sailors’ lead to

4-0 in the 55th minute.

Bernay tallied the hat trick two minutes later after junior Sienna

Palmer sent a cross into a crowd of players that trickled a few yards

from the goal, allowing Bernay to get her stick on it.

“[Bernay] is really good at getting open and taking the ball

without excellent passes,” Cross said.

Newport took a 2-0 lead into halftime on goals from junior Danica

Kalmbach and Bernay, the latter scoring off a corner.

Kalmbach then tallied an assist when she fed junior Lara

Schilling, who rifled a shot into the right side of the cage in the

47th minute to give Newport a 3-0 lead.

“We tried to have a more offensive game [in the second half], but

[the Sailors] were more aggressive and played a lot of defense,”

Fountain Valley Coach Kerri Hunt said.

Senior goalkeeper Ciara Lawrence tallied her 13th shutout of the

season for the Sailors, who are improving with each game, Bernay

said.

“At the beginning of the season we were shaky, but every game we

keep getting better,” Bernay said. “We’re winning so that’s good.”

Sasha Grumman and Amanda Fallon helped keep the ball on the

Barons’ side of the field for most of the second half.

The Sailors face host Huntington Beach at 4:30 p.m. Thursday

before concluding play in the Orange County invitational Saturday at

Marina High.