Sailors lose a nail-biter

Bryce Alderton

The first week of November brings with it shorter days, election

fever and, for the past three years, Newport Harbor High battling

Harvard-Westlake in the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association

Tournament of Champions title game.

The past two title tilts produced 1-0 and 2-0 decisions by

Harvard-Westlake and Newport, respectively, and Thursday’s latest

edition at Fountain Valley High didn’t deviate from the low-scoring,

hard-fought outputs of the past.

Goals were hard to come by once again, except when

Harvard-Westlake sophomore Brenna Moeljadi scored 12 minutes into the

second half, giving the Wolverines the only lead they would need in

an eventual 1-0 victory to seal their second title in three seasons.

The top-seeded Sailors (18-4-5) mounted a rush with less than a

minute remaining -- forcing one of their four corners -- but were

denied a second straight title by a team that didn’t allow a goal in

three tournament contests. Harvard-Westlake (12-2-4) outscored its

three TOC opponents, 12-0.

The Sailors, who won the Sunset League championship for the fourth

time in five seasons and competed in their fifth straight tournament

title game, outscored their prior two opponents (Chaminade and

Glendora), 3-0.

“[The Wolverines] were ready to play, but we were, too,” Newport

senior midfielder, captain and four-year varsity member Jenny Taylor

said. “[Losing] is tough, though.”

Taylor, along with junior Sasha Grumman and senior Lyndsi Foster,

who each earned all-tournament honors, were kept extremely busy at

midfield for most of the contest as both teams had difficulty

breaking deep into the other squad’s zone.

“It was like a fight for who could get the ball out,” Newport

Coach Kristy Cross said. “Both teams were so strong that no one could

hit it out.”

Moeljadi’s goal came on one of the Wolverines’ seven penalty

corners. Taylor blocked a shot by Moeljadi, but the rebound rolled to

the Wolverine’s leading goal-scorer and she rifled it into the cage

from 10 yards out.

In the first half, the Wolverines earned three corners in

succession, but came away empty-handed when Newport goalkeeper Ciara

Lawrence dove to her left to deflect a shot by Moeljadi. Lawrence

finished with four saves.

Newport tallied six of its seven shots in the second half with an

increased rush up field.

Three of the Sailors’ strongest scoring chances came in the final

30 minutes. Senior Amanda Fallon sent a pass to senior captain Reese

Simmons for a one-timer that rolled left of the goal.

About 15 minutes later, Foster’s corner hit found Grumman, who

cleanly struck the ball. But Wolverine goalkeeper Madeline Jacobs

moved over to tally her only save.

Minutes later Grumman took control at the top of the penalty box

and found Taylor, whose shot rolled a few feet left.

Taylor, senior Julia Bernay, Fallon and Lara Schilling also fired

shots for the Sailors.

Newport, though, couldn’t get a shot off on its final corner

attempt with the Wolverines stacking their entire defense within the

penalty box.

The Sailors’ defense turned in an equally strong effort. Defenders

Ashton Rief, Darci Pennington and junior Jackie Taylor each stopped

Wolverine advances and sent passes to forwards Danica Kalmbach and

Sienna Palmer.

“The midfield stepped up and the defense played awesome,” Jenny

Taylor said.

There was little denying Newport’s unity, even in defeat.

Players posed for pictures and then embraced an adjacent teammate

in the postgame aftermath.

“The loss is frustrating, but [Newport] is the best hockey team

I’ve seen,” said Cross, who played forward at Del Mar High in San

Jose. “We have a lot of people who put their heart into it to move

the ball around and click on the field. These are tough girls.”

Foster shared Cross’ sentiments.

“We did the best we could do all season,” Foster said. “This is

the greatest feeling in the world. We worked the whole year to make

it [to the title game] again.”