Sailors gain wisdom, win

LAGUNA HILLS — Larry Draluck should coach with an orchestral baton. Or, at the very least, deliver his streaming soccer consciousness from behind a lectern.

Instead, the director of the Newport Harbor High girls’ program paces, prods and peruses from various sideline vantage points, all the while trying to translate what he sees as the game’s beautiful nuance into verbal snippets that might stay with his players for longer than the next possession.

The sideline sage, whose 25-year coaching career includes stints at Cal State Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego, as well as many years of involvement with the Southern California Blues club and Olympic development programs, must have gotten through to the Sailors on Tuesday night.

After a first half in which they dominated host Laguna Hills, but had only a 1-0 deficit to show for it, the Tars rallied for a 2-1 nonleague victory to improve to 3-8-1, heading into Thursday’s Sunset League opener against Los Alamitos.

Senior Lauren Devoy netted the game-winner in the 72nd minute, cashing in an opportunity set up by junior Elizabeth Eddy and sophomore Beth Barnard.

Eddy initiated the scoring sequence, challenging Hawks goalkeeper Haley Wenlock for a loose ball in front of the cage. Eddy, a member of the under-17 national team that played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup this past fall, managed to separate the ball from a sprawling Wenlock. The ball squirted toward the right corner, where Barnard once again beat a crawling Wenlock to it, knocking it off the flailing goalie toward the end line. Eddy collected it there and sent a cross to Devoy, positioned near the far post, about 10 yards out. Devoy patiently settled the ball — executing one of Draluck’s recurring instructions — and fired it into the net, just inside the left post.

Newport Harbor tied the score in the 43rd minute, when freshman Josie Jogwe punched in a rebound off a 25-yard blast from Natalie Swift that caromed off the crossbar, back in front of the cage.

The Sailors posted 15 shots, nearly doubling eight from the Hawks (3-7-3). And the visitors dominated possession, much to Draluck’s, well, reluctant satisfaction.

“I’m trying to do something with the team,” Draluck said. “I’m on an island. I’m a romantic. And I want to see the game played in a very technical, efficient way, without all of the hoopla and all the excitement and all that stuff. The excitement comes from playing well, technically. And it’s very tough to do in these environments. We have bad fields, you never know what you’re going to get officiating-wise. Some days the kids are here, some days they’re not. And then to get everybody on the same page, thinking in the same pattern, is also very difficult.”

Still, the Sailiors’ play belied their coach’s consternation. Twice the visitors hit clanked shots off the crossbar and several other deftly created scoring chances produced shots that veered just wide of the net.

Draluck, with only four seniors on the roster, including Georgetown-bound midfielder Christina O’Tousa (who plays for Draluck’s So Cal Blues club team), and trustworthy defender Maggie Bernay, said his team has played better than its record.

“Our season has been one of progress,” he said. “However, to now translate that into productivity and goals and winning, is another matter. We’ve given up a lot of soft goals and we’ve had a tough schedule.”

Junior defender Gillian Hogan, who cleared the ball near her own goal line after a shot had carried over the Sailors’ goalie, also displayed strong play on the Laguna Hills football stadium turf.

Eddy, O’Tousa and Barnard were consistent catalysts in the midfield, while Swift, sophomore Megan Khademi, Devoy and Jogwe were among those consistently threatening to finish.

Laguna Hills scored in the 15th minute when a high cross into the goal area was first touched, then dropped by the Sailors’ goalie, as she came in contact with players in front of her. Freshman Kiera Bocchino drilled the loose ball into the net.

Bocchino later drove a shot that connected with the lower portion of the crossbar and bounced downward just in front of the goal line. But no Hawks followed up and the Sailors quickly cleared the ball out of the box.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].