Hit and run

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - After a 2-1 loss in the first game, Newport Harbor

High’s field hockey team had another chance to do something few thought

possible: beat Edison.

Unfortunately, Newport Harbor (8-2-3) failed to bring its best game in a

2-0 loss to the Chargers at Harper Community Center that clinched the

Sunset League title for Edison.

“This was our only out-of-sync game all year,” Newport Harbor Coach

Sharon Wolfe said.

Not being in sync is deadly against an Edison team that has outscored its

opponents, 55-2, while rolling up a 13-0 record.

“We’re the team everybody hates,” Edison player Emily Nehrig said.

If there is a reason for Newport Harbor to hate Edison, it’s not from

envy, but from the Chargers’ physical play, which hurt a Sailor roster

smarting from injuries.

In the middle of the first half, Sarah Green collapsed after being hit on

the head. After a scary moment, she walked off the field under her own

power and later returned to the game.

Lisa Owad hurt her ankle in the second half and had to be carried off.

Later in that half, sweeper Shirin Oskooi got whacked across the shin by

an Edison stick, going down in pain. She got up immediately though, with

an angry yell.

The hit on Oskooi prompted Wolfe to turn to her sideline and ask, “Do I

have anybody healthy?”

“The first time we played them,” Wolfe said, “it was a finesse game. This

time, it looked like a rugby match, and that’s not a part of field

hockey.”

Edison Coach Debbie Ortega thought differently. “This game was similar to

the previous game,” she said. “Field hockey’s an aggressive game.”

“The officials were letting a lot of physical play happen,” Wolfe said.

“but we have to adjust to that.”

Newport Harbor spread out the field and started out playing its open

passing game effectively. But Edison’s bunched up offense started to find

seams in the Sailors’ defense.

After Edison got its first penalty corner, it got four penalty corners in

bunches, scoring when Mary Frausto knocked one in.

The Sailors failed to get a shot in the first half as they spent most of

the time on defense. Goalie Susan Lear made six of her 10 saves in that span to keep the Sailors in the game.

Newport Harbor got offensive pressure in the second half and had four

shots on goal. One shot by Paige Thompson late in the game barely missed,

but was so close that both team reacted as if it was a score.

But the Sailors could not get decent shots against Edison. In fact,

Charger goalie Haleh Khosvorpour had zero saves, and still had a shutout.

Edison added a goal from Cathryn Perkins to pad the lead to 2-0.

“Our team did not play particularly well,” Wolfe said. “We had moments

where our players made great plays, but we didn’t have a strong

performance today.”

Most of Newport Harbor’s moments came on defense, with Oskooi, Bitta

Jansma and Nicole Dore making some aggressive plays.