Sailors shining in transition

Chris Yemma

The theme this season for the Newport Harbor High girls soccer team

is change. With only three wins last season, the theme has to be

change.

And it starts from the top down. The Sailors have a brand new

coach with a brand new philosophy. The players are reformatting their

styles and improving their fundamentals.

And it is already paying dividends.

Newport began this season 2-1, with wins over Edison and Fountain

Valley and a 2-0 loss to El Toro Dec. 6. The Sailors have equaled

their win total of a year ago. Things are already changing in the

program.

“There’s been remarkable improvement,” first-year Coach Phil

D’Agostino said. “It’s a whole new team with a new philosophy and set

of goals and objectives. We’re not going to look backward and we’re

only looking forward.”

Last season the Sailors were 3-15-3, 2-5-2 in the Sea View League.

The team only lost two starters to graduation, so basically it is the

same team this year.

So how the sudden turnaround?

The new seniors have gotten better and freshman talent has been

added, D’Agostino said. But mainly it is the new philosophy.

“We’re taking it one practice and one game at a time,” he said.

“We’re getting our bearings, I’m getting my bearings of high school

soccer and we’re improving our fundamentals.”

D’Agostino coached seven years ago at St. Joseph High in Lakewood,

but took time off for family reasons. Now that he’s back in the

coaching chair, he’s noticed some changes to the game.

The game is a lot more physical and the girls have to be in

tip-top shape, he said. That’s why weightlifting and physical

training are crucial elements now, he said.

“But the fundamentals of good play are never going to change,” he

said.

And that’s what the team is going to count on.

Another difference, he said, is that every one of his players

played club soccer or a fall sport, so the full squad didn’t get

together until after Thanksgiving -- about three weeks later than

what he is expected. Five starters came from fall sports, including

volleyball star Kiley Hall and field hockey players Julia Bernay and

Jackie Taylor.

D’Agostino said the Sailors are going to rely on Krystal Wright

and Amy Klippert to be the main offensive weapons, while Bernay and

Stephanie Lambrakis will be leading in the passing department. He

also said Emily Ohlhaver should be able to dominate the middle.

“Offensively, if these three aspects can work, than we should be

tough to beat,” D’Agostino said.