Photos by Marty James

By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

The Napa Valley College women's soccer team has scored 28 goals so far this season.

The prettiest of the bunch could be the one that Leila Newberry, a freshman center-back, pulled off in Tuesday's Bay Valley Conference match against Los Medanos College-Pittsburg.

Taking a corner kick in the 83rd minute of the second half, Newberry launched a beautiful shot that angled perfectly in for a goal.

It was one of the highlights of the day for Napa Valley in an 8-3 loss to Los Medanos, which is tied for first place in the Bay Valley standings with Solano Community College-Fairfield.

"Leila has been outstanding for us," said coach Mark Corbett. "She probably hasn't got the plaudits in terms of the stats for the goals and the assists, but she's a high-level player. She is actually kind of taking one for the team, really, by playing at center-back, which is not her natural position.

"But she has some strength, some good experience with club and high school that she's had. She's helping a very inexperienced back line and goalkeeper that are really doing their best.

"She's naturally a central-midfielder. We miss her in the central midfield, but she's doing a heck of a job for us at center-back for the time being."

Newberry is also the Storm's set piece specialist, said Corbett.

"She finds a way. She's got great delivery from all of her free kicks and corners, and she gives us some good distance," said Corbett. "It's nice for her to get some rewards for a goal, from a set piece."

Napa Valley (5-2 overall, 5-2 Bay Valley) is in third place in the conference.

The Bay Valley has a tournament, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8, following the regular season.

"We came into it knowing it was going to be a hard game," said the Storm's Annie Sanchez, a sophomore forward, who was named as the Bay Valley's Most Valuable Player last year. "I'm really proud of the girls, really proud of how everyone played.

"I think it was also a very emotional game with having one less (referee) and just being a little bit tense on the field emotionally. I think we played strong all the way through. Just excited to get back on the field on Friday and see if we can take today's effort moving forward."

Napa Valley's final regular-season match of the season is on Friday, Oct. 25 at home against Mendocino College-Ukiah at 2 p.m.

"We're definitely going try to just build off of today, knowing what we need to work on, what we need to do, keep connecting passes through the middle," said Sanchez.

It was the first loss at home this season for Napa Valley, which is averaging four goals per game.

Los Medanos (8-6-1 overall, 7-0 Bay Valley) was ahead 4-1 at halftime. Los Medanos scored four more goals in the second half.

Maya Alvarez and Alondra Tellez each had two goals for Los Medanos. Also scoring for Los Medanos was Zulekya Berumen, Jaela Rossi, Indigo Whiteley and Nayeli Gutierrez.

Tellez and Berumen each had two assists. Other assists were credited to Liliana Bailey and Gutierrez.

"Mark (Corbett's) a really good coach. I know he's a high-level coach, and he has some good, attacking players, and they've scored a bunch of goals," said Los Medanos coach Zach Sullivan. "So, against a good

coach, you're always worried. And (Napa Valley) came back. We scored early, and then they matched it right away. I think the first 20 minutes, it's pretty even."

Berumen scored in the first minute of the game, giving Los Medanos a 1-0 lead.

Napa Valley tied it, 1-1, in the fourth minute on a goal by Thais Thompson-Rangel, a freshman midfielder. The assist went to Sanchez.

"It was a great response from the girls to be able to (tie) within the first five minutes," said Corbett.

Thompson-Rangel scored the Storm's second goal, in the 51st minute of the second half. The assist went to Phoebe Arbabaraghi, a freshman forward.

"(Napa Valley's) forwards are a lot to deal with. That shows, with their three goals, and they're physical and strong. They competed really hard," said Sullivan.

Thompson-Rangel is having a super season, with nine goals and four assists so far.

"Thais has been doing great in the middle. She's definitely a really great asset to have up there. She's really good at connecting. Other teams have got to keep an eye on her, for sure," said Sanchez.

Corbett was issued a yellow card on the Napa Valley sideline in the second half.

"It's just a little bit of frustration," said Corbett.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.