Sailors Are Defenseless in Victory

Newport Harbor Coach Jason Sorrell knows that if his team defends as it did in Wednesday’s wild-card game, advancing beyond the first round of the Southern Section Division II girls’ soccer playoffs won’t be easy.

The Sailors beat Loara, 5-3, but Sorrell left the field at Harper Park in Newport Beach with some concerns. All three of Loara’s goals came on miscues by Newport Harbor defenders.

“If we allow three goals in any other game, we are going to lose,” Sorrell said. “We have to protect the goal better.”

Despite outshooting the Saxons, 17-4, the Sailors, who are making their first playoff appearance since 1994, found themselves up by only one with six minutes remaining in the game.

Loara (17-7-2), the third-place team from the Empire League, took the lead six minutes in when a chip shot by Jessica Medina was dropped by Sailor goalkeeper Kiissa Tyler and the ball rolled into the goal. The Saxons’ next goal came in the 37th minute, when Tyler didn’t pick up a ball skirting along the goal line, thinking it had last been touched by a teammate. Defender Lauren Birchfield was unable to clear it and the result was a goal by Loara’s Lillibeth Borja and a 2-2 tie at halftime.

The Sailors, who finished the season ranked No. 9 in the county, led, 4-2, with 20 minutes remaining on goals by Birchfield and Tory Manchester.

However, Loara pulled within one on its only shot of the second half. Lauren Lappin sent a cross to Betty Medina, who touched it to Borja, who easily beat Tyler.

Newport Harbor put it away with Manchester’s second goal of the game in the closing minutes.

Amy Burlingham and Amy Ross scored in the first half for the Sailors, who play at Troy in the first round Friday.