King’s save big for Tars

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Sydney King stopped the game’s final shot, sending her Newport Harbor High field hockey teammates into a frenzy. They rushed toward her, knocking down the cage as they all bounced together in celebration of their Tournament of Champions title.

The Newport Harbor girls then grabbed a huge Newport Harbor flag and ran around the artificial-turf field at Edison High. They had good reason to show so much energy. They had just scored their third dramatic victory of the week. Thursday night’s meant the most.

King’s big save gave the Sailors the win on strokes against Huntington Beach. The teams were tied, 0-0, after 60 minutes of regulation, then knotted through 10 minutes of sudden-death overtime, which was seven against seven.

Harbor and the Oilers had to settle the game on the best-of-five strokes, which were shots seven yards from the goal. Lauren Chandler and Kylie Sheppard scored goals for the Sailors. Sheppard’s goal put Harbor ahead, 2-1, with two shots remaining for Huntington Beach and one left for the Sailors.

That’s when controversy occurred. It appeared the Oilers’ Stephanie Walter had scored to tie it up, but official Debra Custer nullified the goal, saying Walter had tapped the ball with her stick twice before shooting, which is known as a double-touch violation. Custer conferred with fellow official Rebecca Antongiorgi and they agreed on the call.

“They didn’t call it right away,” Oilers Coach Cathy Van Doornum said. “I thought it was clean, but it was not my call.”

Antongiorgi said Custer initially made the call. The two conferred and they asked another official who was watching the game if the goal should be nullified or if Walter should be allowed to shoot again. Walter’s goal did not count, they ruled.

Claire Layton’s shot then went wide left for Harbor, keeping the score at 2-1 and setting up King’s dramatic save.

The sophomore goalie lunged to her left to stop Lindsey Sebastian’s shot.

“My heart was just pounding,” King said. “I was just thinking, ‘Please save this.’ ... I’m in shock. I can’t believe we just beat Huntington.”

King recorded five saves during the 70 minutes before the strokes, then stopped three shots. During the strokes she made two saves when turning shots away at her right side. Then she stopped the final one at her left.

“I cannot tell you my secrets on how I know which way they will go, but I just had this feeling,” King said.

She also knew where to lean on Tuesday, when she made three straight saves during the stroke portion for the Sailors’ 2-1 win at Harvard-Westlake in the semifinals. Newport Harbor (12-2-3) also beat Louisville, 3-2, in a quarterfinal on Monday, when Claire Ramser scored on a penalty corner with 10 seconds left.

Then, the Sailors exacted revenge against the Oilers (19-4-5), who won last year’s TOC title over Harbor to complete an undefeated season. Harbor had lost to Huntington Beach, 2-0, Oct. 28 and tied with the Oilers, 1-1, Oct. 9.

“This feels really good,” said Harbor Coach Devon Kelly, who won her first TOC title in her third year.

Newport Harbor (12-2-3) captured its second Tournament of Champions crown, its first since 2004. The Sailors have reached the title match seven of the past eight years.