Newport Harbor aims to defend Wave League crown
The Newport Harbor High girls’ soccer program saw its best overall player graduate when midfielder Emily Johnson, last season’s Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year, went off to UC Santa Barbara.
The Sailors, fresh off an 18-3-6 season, a Wave League championship and a CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal appearance, now aim to defend their first league title since 1985-86. That they’re probably favored to do so speaks to the culture that fourth-year coach Justin Schroeder is creating, the idea that there can be a culture of winning not limited to a certain player.
Newport Harbor opens the season ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 poll and returns 15 players from last season. Senior forward Sadie Pitchess, who shared the league MVP award with Johnson last season, is a four-year starter, as is senior forward Skylynn Rodriguez and senior defender Makenzie Trigo.
The Sailors’ defense is strong with pieces like seniors Nicole Laz, Jenna McConnaughey and Liz Peters returning, along with junior goalkeeper Jessica Gardner. Junior midfielder Reese Bodas is another dynamic player for the Sailors, who did lose team captain Sofia Velasquez to graduation in the midfield, along with Johnson.
“As long as we can figure out the midfield, I think we will be a solid team this year,” Schroeder said.
NHHS Girls Soccer Alumni Game
Saturday, January 4th, 10AM
Food Truck provided by NHHS Boys Soccer
Boys Alumni Game at 12 noon
What a SEASON!
Sailors finish as QUARTERFINALISTS for only the 2nd time in school history!
18-3-6 RANKINGS:
1st – LEAGUE
7th – Southern Section
15th –
52nd in the NATION!!!
OC Register: Newport Harbor girls soccer blanks Santa Margarita, advances to Division 1 quarterfinals
Newport Harbor got a clutch goal from Emily Johnson and played exceptional defense in a 1-0 victory over Santa Margarita in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 girls soccer playoffs Friday at Santa Margarita High School.
The victory puts the Sailors (18-2-6), who are ranked No. 7 in Division 1, in the quarterfinals for the first time in Coach Justin Schroeder’s three-year tenure. On Wednesday, the Sailors defeated Mission Viejo 1-0 for its first postseason win since 2011. Click here to read more.
