Newport Harbor girls' soccer advances to first CIF semifinal after shootout win

The Sailors stunned the Lancers in a defensive battle that went to penalties

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The Newport Harbor girls' soccer team reached the CIF Southern Section semifinals for the first time in program history after a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Orange Lutheran on Wednesday. The teams played 100 scoreless minutes before the Sailors prevailed in the tiebreaker, with goalkeeper Aliyah Chappell making two saves and Skylie Cid converting the decisive penalty kick.

Why it matters

This is a historic achievement for the Newport Harbor girls' soccer program, which has never advanced this far in the CIF playoffs. The Sailors will now face the top-seeded Westlake Warriors in the semifinals, with the winner taking on either Sherman Oaks Notre Dame or Roosevelt in the championship match.

The details

Despite being outshot 26-6 and conceding 9 corner kicks to 2, the Sailors' defense held firm throughout the match. Maddie Michel, Leah Showalter and Caroline Harner anchored a resilient back three, while Cid and Sadie Taketa tracked runners expertly in midfield. Goalkeeper Aliyah Chappell made 14 saves, including two in the penalty shootout, to keep the Lancers at bay.

  • The match took place on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.
  • The Sailors will face Westlake in the semifinals on Saturday.

The players

Aliyah Chappell

The Newport Harbor goalkeeper who made two saves in the penalty shootout to help the Sailors advance.

Skylie Cid

The Newport Harbor player who scored the decisive penalty kick to send the Sailors to the semifinals.

Maddie Michel

The anchor of the Sailors' resilient back three, which helped keep the Lancers at bay throughout the match.

Justin Schroeder

The ninth-year head coach of the Newport Harbor girls' soccer team, who has led the Sailors to their first-ever CIF semifinal appearance.

Amelia Gonzalez

The goalkeeper for Orange Lutheran, who made just one save in the match.

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What they’re saying

“Defensively, we've been really stout, especially as of late. Going through Sunset League, you have to play really, really good defense or people make you pay. So we were ready for it.”

— Justin Schroeder, Head Coach, Newport Harbor Girls' Soccer (latimes.com)

“Experience is everything. We've gone to double overtime many, many, many times. I've played double overtime many times. Going to PKs, we've done it before. Everything's happened before.”

— Aliyah Chappell, Goalkeeper, Newport Harbor Girls' Soccer (latimes.com)

“I was very nervous. I told my coach I don't want to take one, but he was, like, 'You're going fourth.' So I was like, all right, and I just took a deep breath and, looked at the keeper and then shot it.”

— Skylie Cid, Player, Newport Harbor Girls' Soccer (latimes.com)

What’s next

The Sailors will face top-seeded Westlake in the CIF Southern Section semifinals on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the championship match.

The takeaway

This historic run for the Newport Harbor girls' soccer team demonstrates the resilience and determination of a squad that was not expected to make it this far. Their defensive prowess and penalty kick expertise have propelled them to the brink of a CIF championship, showcasing the program's bright future.