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NHB FC GU14 Newport Mesa Champs
NHB FC kicked off their summer season in glorious fashion by winning the Newport Mesa Cup over the Memorial Day weekend.
This was the team's first tournament together resulting in their first
Championship as a brand new team.
The girls have been working very hard over the past 10 weeks in preparation and
it showed in their play on the field. The squad went 4-0 in the tournament, scoring 10 goals for and only allowing one against..."It was nothing short of spectacular", mentioned a proud Coach John Roland.
In Saturday's first game, against Heat FC Nevada, NHB dominated right from the start. Striker, Jade Kaiser, got on the score sheet first with a goal in the opening few minutes of play. Shortly after, midfielder Jocelyn Ceccarelli notched goal number two on a break away down the right side. Before halftime, forward Sawyer Koelsch, found the back of the net to put her team up 3-0.
NHB came out in the second half just as strong, scoring goal number four on a
corner kick, as Jasmine Ramirez knocked it in with a side volley. Then, late in
the half, Koelsch picked up her second goal of the match, while Stephanie Brown
scored the final goal, giving NHB a 6-0 victory.
Saturday's second match against a physical Corona Eagles team, was filled with
nothing less than excitement and drama. While both teams battled for possession,
midfielder Alana Rouse, scored for NHB, leading them into half-time with a 1-0
advantage.
Nearly ten minutes into the second half, a foul was called against NHB's keeper
Sophia Cogan, forcing an automatic red card and penalty kick for Corona.
Defender, Katie O'Donnell stepped in the box to try and stop the PK, but it was
a hard enough kick by Corona that she was unable to prevent the goal. With
only 10 players, fifteen minutes remaining, and the score tied at 1-1, NHB FC
stepped up their game with the stout defense of Kiana Dinsmore, Sabrina Wahab, and Baylie Sheroski...as well as help from midfielder Sami Oliver, denying
Corona any shots on goal. While time was running out, Koelsch scored on a through ball from midfielder Jenna Low, giving NHB a 2-1 lead, that ended in a dramatic win for the girls.
On Sunday morning, the squad played the semi-final match against a tough La
Mirada team with no keeper. Kate Wigod stepped up for her team and held strong in goal for the game. The team was fired up right from the opening whistle and completely dominated every aspect of the game. Striker, Yvonne Martinez, came through with a lone goal and put her team up 1-0 which turned out to be the final score of the game. NHB's perseverance and desire to pull together as a
team under the given circumstance, wanted nothing less than to have their keeper
back for the championship game.
The Championship game had NHB vs.FC Irvine. With high winds, both teams
struggled to maintain possession...but NHB FC had the slight edge, outshooting
Irvine and hitting the frame many times. With time winding down in the game, it
was looking like we may be heading to PK's to decide the winner. Feeling the
pressure of wanting to try and win in regulation, Brown, Kaiser, and Martinez,
fought off 3 defenders in the right corner of the field, where each one managed
to get a piece of the ball as it crossed back to the top of the box, where a
patient Rouse made an incredible chip shot that sailed over Irvine keeper's
gloves and beneath the upper cross-bar, resulting in the game winning goal for
NHB and their Championship run for the Cup!
It was a great weekend for everyone involved...Katrina Lopez and Emma Walker were enable to participate in match play.
Look for NHB FC to make some more noise over the summer with the 3 remaining tournaments; Slammers, Crown City Classic in Coronado, and NHB Cup.
