Field Hockey: Chargers turn away Sailors

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Newport Harbor High field hockey coach Amanda Boyer said her Sailors did everything but score in the Tournament of Champions semifinal loss at Edison on Tuesday.

And while the Sailors are one of just two teams to post a goal against the 2014 Chargers, they instead found themselves chronicled among a more prominent list of shutout victims in the fourth meeting this season between the two teams.

Newport became the 17th team to be blanked by the Chargers (19-0), who scored in the 38th minute to advance to Thursday’s championship game against Huntington Beach.

Newport Harbor (17-7-1), which has lost a pair of 1-0 verdicts against Edison this season and also fell in penalty strokes of a tournament game that ended deadlocked, 1-1, in regulation, will play for third place against Marina on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Huntington Beach High. Marina lost to Huntington Beach in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

The Sailors just missed on a handful of scoring opportunities on Tuesday.

Cameron Dewan fired a shot that went just wide early in the game and she later put a shot on frame that Edison senior goalie Tatum Springer turned away with her shin pad.

Jordan Blanchfield created some opportunities for the Tars, while Mollie Crook nearly shoved in a rebound off a chance created by Mia Bagiu.

“I thought it was a great matchup and a really hard-fought match,” Boyer said. “Someone had to be a winner and someone had to be a loser and they found the back of the cage.”

Sophomore Danielle Emerzian posted the game-winner, jamming in a rebound in the midst of a scramble in front of the net with 22:19 left in the second 30-minute half.

The loss, while disappointing, did not diminish Boyer’s pride in her team’s play.

“I’m very happy with their performance,” Boyer said. “There were some moments when we gave up the ball a little bit too easily and were making things harder for ourselves than they could have been. But overall, they played with their hearts and did a fabulous job.”

Newport was aiming for its 10th championship-game appearance in 15 seasons, its first since the Tars capped a run of four straight TOC crowns in 2011.

Newport, however, was denied the chance at its fifth TOC title (the equivalent of the CIF crown in the sport that does not have enough participants to join other CIF-sanctioned playoffs).

Erika Nilsson made two saves for Newport Harbor, which produced just one of its four shots after halftime.

“[The Chargers] are undefeated, but we wanted to be the ones who defeated them,” Boyer said. “I feel like in the last three games, we had a good chance of beating them. We just couldn’t find the back of the cage.”

Boyer’s team has plenty of company in that department.

After defeating Glendora, 2-1, in its season opener, Edison reeled off nine straight shutouts, until the Sailors became the last team to earn a goal against their Sunset League rival.

Tuesday’s game marked the eighth consecutive shutout for Edison, which has outscored opponents, 68-2, this season.

With 12 seniors, Newport Harbor will have to settle for a chance to finish third in the TOC for the second straight season.

Boyer said it was difficult to single out top performers on Tuesday.

“I didn’t feel like there was a standout,” Boyer said. “They just played really well as a full unit.”