Daily Pilot Cup: Mariners gets off to a strong start with shutout of Newport Heights

The girls on the Newport Beach Mariners Elementary A team have impressive looking T-shirts this year at the Daily Pilot Cup.

Teresa Hlista, the wife of Mariners coach Brett Hlista, had last names or nicknames, as well as numbers, screen-printed in white on the back of the Marlins’ green shirts.

It gives the appearance of an actual uniform, and it’s a professional look for a fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division team that expects to do well.

Mariners got off to a good start in the tournament Tuesday at the Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. Sammy Forbath and Alyssa Altobelli scored as the Marlins blanked Newport Heights A 2-0 in both teams’ opening pool-play game.

Mariners has won the third- and fourth-grade Gold Division each of the last two years. Last year, it was Reese Hlista, Ella Knox and Amelia Garza who were on the title team, and they are now the only fifth-graders on the fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division squad.

The current sixth-graders on the team still made the fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division semifinals a year ago, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Newport Beach Andersen.

“We’re pretty confident,” said Forbath, who provided the Marlins with the lead in the 20th minute.

The girl with the orange cleats had crossed it in front a number of times from the left. This time, she took the shot, and it found the back of the net.

“I was going to cross it, but no one was really at the goal yet,” she said. “I just shot it because no one was really there, and I was pretty close to the goal, too.”

Mariners added another goal in the 28th minute, when Altobelli redirected Kate Kubiak’s shot from the top of the box into the back of the net. The final score could have been worse, except for stellar goalkeeping from Newport Heights’ Frankie Paalman, who made 12 saves.

“I think it was a great first game,” said Brett Hlista, whose team plays Newport Beach Our Lady Queen of Angels on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to close out pool play. “They hustled, played hard and moved the ball really well. A lot of good passing. We gave ourselves a lot of good opportunities for goals.”

Ellie Robinson made three saves for Mariners, while defenders Avery Wolfe, Ally Thomas and Greta Harmon helped secure the shutout. Riley McKibbin, Peyton Bodas, Kate Lukosky, Kaitlyn Leibe and Maia Schimmelpfennig also contributed.

Midfielder Kylie Lopez provided Newport Heights’ best scoring chance early in the second half, her straightaway shot just outside of the box going wide right. Lainey Waite, Payton Williams, Cagney Sweeney and Vicki Graves helped Paalman with the defensive effort, while Newport Heights also got contributions from Rylan Beach, Kaylee Ostler, McKenna Maloof, Senia Wetzel, Aziana Schacht, Katy Coar and Macey Craiger.

Newport Heights coach Eric Beach said he was encouraged. He said his team unofficially lost to Mariners 6-0 in a scrimmage a few weeks ago.

“We know we can be a champion,” said Beach, whose team plays Our Lady Queen of Angels on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. “We’ve just got to earn that opportunity. We played against an elite team [tonight], and we held our own. They’re favored to win the championship this year.

“I thought we were a little tentative in the first half. When you lose to a team like that like we did [in the scrimmage], you’re a little nervous.”

There are 12 teams in the girls’ fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division. The top two teams in each of the three-team pools advance to the tournament quarterfinals on Saturday.

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