Girls’ Soccer: Newport Harbor stuns CdM
Sianna Siemonsma didn’t want to hear from anyone during the Battle of the Bay, not even her family standing near the Newport Harbor High sideline. Her mother even warned Siemonsma’s twin brother about talking to Siemonsma.
“Don’t make her mad,” Jody Siemonsma said to Chandler Siemonsma, who could see his sister was clearly frustrated on the soccer field on Thursday.
Everywhere Sianna Siemonsma went, there was usually a Corona del Mar defender holding her or pushing her. Siemonsma is only a sophomore, but she attracts a lot of attention because of her size, strength and speed.
The Sea Kings tried their best to slow Siemonsma down. All Siemonsma needed was one chance to score. When it came, she delivered for the Sailors.
The shot came in the 30th minute and Siemonsma put it away, over the goalkeeper’s hands and into the back of the net. The goal held up, allowing the Sailors to pull off a 1-0 upset at CdM, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 poll.
The triumph is Newport Harbor’s second in as many seasons on its Back Bay archrival’s field. Sea Kings Coach Bryan Middleton isn’t used to losing to the Sailors in consecutive seasons.
“It’s the Battle of the Bay, so it gets a little emotional,” said Middleton, who for the first time during his 13 seasons at the helm of CdM saw his side drop back-to-back matches to the Sailors. “There [are] a lot of nerves at the beginning. I think it would’ve been a little different story if we [had] played on turf. We play a lot better game on a better surface. We can keep possession of the ball.”
The Battle of the Bay took place under different circumstances. The programs met in pool-play action in the 10th annual Aliso Cup tournament because Middleton said he wanted to kills two birds with one stone.
The Sailors ruined CdM’s chance to claim the three-team pool on Thursday. With Newport Harbor edging CdM, 1-0, Ayala beating Newport Harbor, 1-0, on Monday, and CdM defeating Ayala, 1-0, on Tuesday, Middleton said the pool-play winner would be decided by penalty kicks at Aliso Niguel High on Saturday at 7:30 a.m.
As Middleton and Newport Harbor Coach Larry Draluck met near midfield, Middleton explained the tiebreaker process to Draluck. The winner earns a trip to the quarterfinals of the Champion’s Cup bracket.
“It’s a three-way tie,” Middleton said. “What will happen is each [team] will flip a coin. The two that have the same coins, shoot first, the winner of that does PK against the odd-man out.”
Draluck nodded his head at Middleton, and a few minutes later, he shook it. As the Sailors packed their belongings and headed home, Middleton ordered his team to go over penalty kicks.
“I don’t believe in that stuff,” Draluck said as he looked on.
Draluck was happy to lead the Sailors to their first victory of the season. They went into the match with three losses, struggling to get results. Siemonsma helped Newport Harbor earn one, as did defenders Brooke Zachry, Melisa Camano and Paige Fults, and goalkeepers Danielle Manderson and Katie Robinson, who split time and combined for seven saves.
The Sea Kings’ best chance to tie the match came in the 76th minute against Robinson. Hunter Gantos created it, poking the ball around a defender. Robinson came out to stop Gantos near the top of the 18, but she missed the ball, leaving a wide-open net for Gantos. The sophomore forward struck the ball too hard and it sailed over the crossbar.
“They’re good,” Draluck said of the Sea Kings, who reached the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals last season, their sixth quarterfinal appearance under Middleton. “They put a lot of pressure on you physically and mentally.”
The physical play almost got to Draluck’s youngest standout. The Sea Kings (1-1) made Siemonsma work when she made runs. Alicia Doherty, Birkley Sigband and Brynn Motal got in the way, and when Siemonsma grew upset of not getting a call, Draluck settled her down.
“Sienna is a weapon, and if she escapes, [she’s dangerous],” Draluck said. “I thought she was treated unfairly by the official. Because she’s tall and people bounce off her a little bit, they look at her. It’s kind of like, I don’t want to say Shaquille O’Neal, but it’s kind of like that. You get pushed from behind, and nobody [gets carded].
“It’s my opinion that the defenders get away with a lot, but there’s a way to expose it, other than just griping at the official. You need to be smart on the field and draw fouls, and try to expose the fact that you’re getting held and pushed.”
Siemonsma isn’t one to back down, just ask her twin. Chandler, who’s a keeper with the Los Angeles Galaxy Academy under-16 boys’ program, knows not to mess with his sister.
“He doesn’t like to really play with me,” Siemonsma said with a laugh. “It always turns into a fight.”