Harvard-Westlake Kicks Back

Despite producing three NCAA Division I players last season, the Harvard-Westlake girls’ team struggled to a third-place finish in the Mission League.

It was a significant step down for a program previously among the region’s best.

But the Wolverines have rebounded and are 7-1 after defeating Hart, 1-0, on Tuesday.

“We had kids last year who were outstanding soccer talents but the team never came together,” Coach Ned Smith of Harvard-Westlake said.

The Wolverines, expected to vie with Chaminade and Louisville for league supremacy, start eight players who were not with the team last season.

Foremost are Molly Cahan, a junior midfielder who had reconstructive knee surgery, and Sara Deckers, a junior goalkeeper who starred as a freshman but spent her sophomore year at Hart after leaving Harvard-Westlake for disciplinary reasons.

Cahan provides the Wolverines with offensive spark and Deckers has teamed with junior sweeper Imani Dorsey to produce five consecutive shutouts.

Unsung players such as stopper Brandi Thompson, outside fullbacks Alice Graham and Kim LaVere, and midfielder Natasha Case have also made significant contributions.

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Erin Misaki, a senior midfielder at Hart who is considered the region’s top girls’ player, has been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America All-American team.

She recently helped the West Region team to a U.S. under-18 title in the Olympic Development Program at Bolletieri Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Misaki, who has committed to the University of Portland, is joined in the under-18 national team pool by Lauren Arase, a senior goalkeeper from La Canada. The two faced off Monday when Hart defeated La Canada, 3-0. Misaki scored in the first half.

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A cross-town rivalry between Royal and Simi Valley high schools has resulted in what Coach Andy Silva of Royal is calling “Super Saturday.”

The boys’ and girls’ programs from both schools will play in six games at Royal on Jan. 30.

The competition kicks off at 9 a.m. and builds from frosh/soph games to junior varsity and varsity contests. The girls’ varsity game is at 5 p.m. and the boys’ at 7 p.m.

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Although his teams never finished worse than third in the Marmonte League during his seven years as coach of the Westlake girls’ team, walk-on Tahn Hyun was not rehired as the Warriors’ coach.

Hahn, whose team finished second in league play last year, said school officials told him they wanted a teacher to coach the team. Rick Hansen, the new coach, is an English teacher at Westlake.

Hansen, 28, is a 1988 Camarillo graduate who played for the Scorpions but has relatively little coaching experience. Having inherited a highly regarded team, he said he is somewhat nervous.

“I was a friend of Tahn’s and we worked together as a team,” said Hansen, who was Hyun’s assistant last season. “I think about it almost every practice because I know he loved the job and the girls loved him. On one hand I don’t feel real cool about it, but I’m also excited about the opportunity.”

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TOP 5:

Rankings of regional high schools by The Times’ sportswriters:

Girls

RK: 1

LW: 1

Team (League): Westlake (Marmonte)

REC.: 3-0

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RK: 2

LW: 2

Team (League): Buena (Channel)

REC.: 4-0-1

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RK: 3

LW: 3

Team (League): Chaminade (Mission)

REC.: 6-1

*

RK: 4

LW: NR

Team (League): Harvard-Westlake (Mission)

REC.: 7-1

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RK: 5

LW: 5

Team (League): Chatsworth (Coast / Valley)

REC.: 2-0-1