Dana Hills forward Brittany Mueller receives a pass from a teammate during the Dolphins non-league match against Newport Harbor on December 11. The Dolphins won 1-0. Photo by Kevin Dahlgren
By Steve Breazeale
Dolphins Sink Sailors With Charged Offense
In a non-league match against visiting Newport Harbor on December 11, the Dana Hills girls soccer team had plenty of opportunities to score, dominated ball possession and came away with a 1-0 victory.
The Dolphins (4-0-1) final goal tally could have been much higher, and it was apparent from the opening minutes that they were searching for goals early and often.
Defender Liz Durst opened the Dolphin shooting barrage with a strike from about 25 yards out that Newport Harbor goalie Rowan Fredericksen reeled in confidently. Fredericksen would remain solid in the net for the Sailors (1-2-1) until the last three minutes of the half when the Dolphins finally broke through with a goal.
At the 37-minute mark the Dolphins’ Cailey Laidlaw sent a sailing free kick ball from 40 yards out deep into the box and onto the head of teammate Rachel Edelstein. Edelstein completed the play by redirecting the ball past Fredericksen and into the left hand side of the net to put the Dolphins up 1-0.
“Laidlaw played a free kick ball and played it beautifully to Edelstein,” Dolphins head coach Sheena Jarvis said. “It was actually a really pretty goal.”
The Dolphins were rewarded with two corner kicks in the opening forty minutes and recorded five shots on goal.
The story was much of the same in the second half, with the Dolphins pressing the offensive issue against the visitors. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Fredericksen was up for the task. 10 minutes into the second half the Dolphins had a clear breakaway opportunity, but a fingertip save by the Sailors junior keeper deflected the Dana Hills shot attempt away and off the post. Fredericksen wound up with seven saves on the day.
“We had a lot of opportunities on goal, nothing could get in other than (the Edelstein goal). But a win is a win so I’m happy with that,” Jarvis said.
The Dolphins now prepare for the Mater Dei Premier Invitational, which features some of the best teams the county, and neighboring San Diego, has to offer. Dana Hills will open their tournament on December 19 in a game against Los Alamitos at 6:45 p.m. at Mater Dei High. The Dolphins will also face Bishop Amat on December 20 at 4 p.m. and Foothill on December 21 at 5:25 p.m.
The Dolphin squad is made up of returning players as well as a handful of newcomers and Jarvis believes games like the one played on December 11 will help the Dolphins in the future.
“We worked out a lot of stuff (on December 11)…It’s still early in our season so we’re trying out a few different things,” Jarvis said. “Half these girls are new this year so they’re still trying to learn how each other’s games work…A game like this is one (against Newport Harbor) is one step closer to learning how to play with one another.”
Boys Basketball
As a result of their 5-3 record the Dana Hills boys basketball team has been ranked No. 15 in the CIF-SS Division 1A polls as of December 11. The Dolphins are currently playing in the Irvine World News Classic and opened the tournament with back-to-back wins. The Dolphins defeated Irvine 64-50 on December 10 and Northwood, 60-39, on December 12. Dana Hills was set to play University on December 13. Results were not available at press time.
Next Game: 12/14 vs. El Dorado, Irvine World News Classic, 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball
The Dolphins ended a four game skid by defeating Western 45-40 in a close contest in the opening round of the Ocean View Tournament on December 10. The win was the first of the season for the Dolphins (1-4). Dana Hills was set to play Westminster on December 13. Results were not available at press time.
Next Game: 12/18 vs. University, 7 p.m.
Boys Soccer
The Dolphins had three different players score in a 3-2 non-league victory over Edison on December 5. Junior forward Jake Allen, junior midfielder Christian Gunther and senior midfielder Vicente Ruiz all notched a goal in the win while senior keeper Rony Alay tallied six saves. The Dolphins scored two goals in the first half and one in the second to stave off Edison.
Newport Harbor jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first half against Dana Hills on December 7 and held on for a 3-1 non-league win at Hicks Park. The Dolphins’ (2-2) lone goal came in the second half.
Next Game: 12/14 at Capistrano Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Wrestling
After posting back-to-back second place finishes at preseason tournaments, the Dolphins took to the road on December 11 to open up league play against Capistrano Valley and came away with a convincing 51-15 victory to start their first year back in South Coast League competition.
Next Match: 12/14 at the Ed Springs Classic, Brea High, 9 a.m.
Girls Water Polo
The Dolphins have had a busy preseason schedule to start their 2012 campaign and so far have a 7-6 record to show for it. From December 1 to December 11 the Dolphins have played in nine games, going 5-4 over the stretch. The Dolphin wins in that time have come against Valhalla, Canyon, Villa Park, Troy, and St. Lucy’s. The team’s most recent game was on December 11, which ended up being a 12-6 loss to Martin Luther King. The Dolphins have one more game on their preseason schedule before they open league play against San Clemente on January 8.
Next Game: 12/14 vs. Warren, at Fullerton College, 4:15 p.m.
