Marina girls' soccer beats Newport Harbor to claim first league title since 1995

Marina celebrates a 1-0 win over Newport Harbor in a Wave League match on Tuesday in Huntington Beach.

By Shawn MedowSpecial Contributor

Jan. 28, 2020 8:35 PM PT

Marina High junior Makena Castillo wasn’t expecting the ball to come to her.

After sustaining pressure from Newport Harbor for the first eight minutes of Tuesday’s Wave League girls’ soccer match, Marina capitalized on its first big offensive moment.

Haley Boren dribbled the ball down the left flank with little pressure from Newport Harbor defenders. Boren found one more pass before a cross was miscued in a clearance, landing near the penalty spot before Castillo took a touch to her right and curled a shot into the top corner to break a scoreless tie in the ninth minute.

That’s all Marina needed at home, as it hung on to beat defending league champion Newport Harbor 1-0 and claim the program’s first league title since the 1994-95 season.

Marina's McKenna Pua, left, and Haley Boren celebrate after beating Newport Harbor 1-0 in a Wave League match on Tuesday.

“This is why we play,” Marina coach Heath Oberle. “This is what the girls have fought for, this is what the whole high school is working toward. In preseason, our whole conversation is to practice for league, and it’s paid off.”

Oberle, in his third season in charge of the Vikings, led Marina (7-7-3, 4-0 in league) to its sixth league championship. Athletic director Michelle Spencer said the program’s other first-place finishes came in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Castillo came through early for Marina on Tuesday.

“Honestly, it all went by so fast,” Castillo said. “I just saw the ball and kicked it and it was in the back of the net. I was just trying to get it on frame, and it went exactly how I wanted it to.”

With two matches left in league play, the Sailors (14-5-4, 1-2-1) will look to finish in second place. Newport Harbor is listed as the only team in the others section of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 top-10 poll.

Moments after Castillo’s goal, Newport Harbor leading scorer Skylynn Rodriguez, who was out in Newport Harbor’s 1-0 loss the last time these teams met on Jan. 16, got behind the Marina defense on the left side before her shot at the near post was pushed wide by senior goalkeeper Carly Miles. Newport Harbor held the bulk of possession in search of an equalizer throughout the remainder of the first half with Marina on the defensive.

Rodriguez had another big chance with a one-on-one midway through the first half, but Miles came off her line to pry the ball off Rodriguez’s feet.

“She does what she’s supposed to do and that’s keep the ball out of the goal. It doesn’t have to be pretty,” Oberle said of Miles. “She’s done it all year.”

Marina goalkeeper Carly Miles, left, dives for a loose ball as Newport Harbor's Reese Bodas (3) attempts to knock it free in a Wave League match on Tuesday.

After the half, Newport Harbor made adjustments to its formation, going from having four defenders to three in the backline.

“We talked based on the players that they had there’s a good chance they could go 3-5-2,” Oberle said. “I told the girls, ‘This is how we adjust to it and how we match up.’ After about five minutes it looked like we settled in.”

The change helped Newport Harbor crowd the midfield and keep possession further up the field. Despite the possession, Newport Harbor struggled to get an end product, challenging Miles just once through a header that she caught like a pop-fly, helping secure the clean sheet. Marina has allowed just one goal in its last five matches.

“What’s the old adage, offense wins games, defense wins championships?” Oberle said. “That showed today.”

Marina's Eve Frousiakis, left, battles for a ball against Newport Harbor's Reese Bodas in a Wave League match on Tuesday.

Frustration began to build for Newport Harbor, culminating midway through the second half when Rodriguez swung an elbow at a Marina defender as the ball bounced toward her in attack, leading to a yellow card and Rodriguez forced to briefly substitute out.

“We knew we needed to control [Rodriguez],” Oberle said. “We didn’t know if she would be at 100 percent, but she’s still a dangerous player.”

Moving forward, Marina has matches against Fountain Valley at home on Thursday and at Laguna Beach on Feb. 4 before the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs begin.

“We weren’t the better team today, but we got the goal early on and held on,” Oberle said, before adding that “we’re hoping this is just the start of things to come.”