Dodgers’ Jason Heyward calls revamped swing a ‘work in progress’

• March 25, 2023

GLENDALE, Ariz. — If the mechanic says your car needs an overhaul, you probably need an overhaul.

Jason Heyward has avoided using that term to describe the spring swing project. He has acknowledged the need to make changes after his offensive decline resulted in an unceremonious end to his time with the Chicago Cubs last year – “If you have the last year and a half the way I had, you’d expect to make changes,” he said early this spring.

But Heyward has characterized the swing changes he is incorporating into his offensive game as “nothing new,” more of a return to “things that I’ve seen myself do” in the past and a ripping off of “Band-Aids” that accumulated over the years.

“It felt like an overhaul for me. So maybe we have different definitions,” Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said. “But from my perspective, it’s been an overhaul.”

How well that overhaul works will determine whether Heyward can revive his career with the Dodgers and write a better ending than the Cubs’ decision to move on without him despite owing Heyward $22 million this season.

Van Scoyoc said the project began the way they always do – with video study – and then progressed from there once Heyward signed with the Dodgers.

“Just kind of went back and saw when he performed in the big leagues what he was doing,” the hitting coach said. “When he was really solid, that was seven, eight years ago so we didn’t really use that as much of a model as we normally would. So we kind of just hopped in the cage, made observations and went from there. So it was a little different from other guys.”

The changes Van Scoyoc and Aaron Bates suggested were “from the ground up.”

“We worked on his lower half, his legs, how he uses his back side, hand position, bat path, sequencing – all of it,” Van Scoyoc said. “We kind of did everything.”

The changes were fundamental. Heyward had gotten “a little crashy,” diving out to meet the ball and hitting off his front leg, making him prone to chasing pitches. So the Dodger coaches worked with him on “kind of screwing into the ground and … getting into a position where he’s more balanced, more athletic, holds the ground with his back leg,” Van Scoyoc said.

Heyward has also changed his hand position in his setup, a change that long-time friend and reconnected teammate Freddie Freeman noted when the two worked out this winter. Heyward’s hands are away from his body more so than they had been in years, giving him “more freedom” to get to pitches.

“If you play for 15 years, you’re going to see over time some different setups, some different stances,” Heyward said.

“Working with Robert, working with Batesy and the rest of the group – I’m not doing stuff that I haven’t done before and they’re asking me to do something that’s a different language.”

The results this spring have been mixed. Heyward hit two home runs in the first week of Cactus League play but leveled off and finished 10 for 47 (.213) – disappointingly similar to Heyward’s average over those final two seasons in Chicago (.211).

“For as long as you play, it’s a work in progress. Just like life, right?” Heyward said.

“You get in spring training and you work on things and then you go face pitching. Guys are not going to be as good because it’s not the same preparation as in season when you’re studying and breaking down game plans.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed the “work in progress” assessment, adding that it was never expected to be “linear.” With Heyward technically a non-roster invitee this spring, Roberts has already said he didn’t have to win a spot. But James Outman’s spring emergence has pushed Heyward into the trail position among the three left-handed outfielders that will be on the season-opening roster (David Peralta, Outman and Heyward).

“Jason made a bet on himself signing with us,” Roberts said this week. “With that, he’s going to be on our ballclub. That in itself proves something to himself. Now with that, how at-bats are distributed – that is yet to be determined.”

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ALSO

Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard and Ryan Pepiot will start the three Freeway Series games against the Angels. …

Roberts estimated that Tony Gonsolin could rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation by the end of April. Gonsolin will go on a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment before rejoining the Dodgers. …

After Saturday’s Cactus League finale, the Dodgers sent right-hander Wander Suero and outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Steven Duggar to the minor leagues.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County softball standings: Saturday, March 25

• March 25, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Orange County high school softball standings through Friday, March 24.

TRINITY LEAGUE
League
Overall

JSerra
3-0
12-2

Orange Lutheran
2-0
8-4

Santa Margarita
1-2
10-4-1

Mater Dei
0-2
6-7-1

Rosary
0-2
5-6

SUNSET LEAGUE
League
Overall

Marina
4-0
14-1

Los Alamitos
1-0
7-2

Edison
1-1
9-5

Huntington Beach
1-1
5-3

Fountain Valley
1-3
5-6

Corona del Mar
0-1
1-7

Newport Harbor
0-2
4-6

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

Overall

Aliso Niguel

11-3

Tesoro

6-3-1

Dana Hills

5-4

Mission Viejo

6-6-1

San Juan Hills

2-9

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Overall

Capistrano Valley

6-1

Trabuco Hills

10-5

El Toro

4-6-1

San Clemente

0-4

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Woodbridge
2-0
4-2-1

Irvine
2-0
6-4

Beckman
3-1
6-5

Northwood
2-1
5-3

Laguna Hills
1-4
5-6

Portola
0-1
0-3

University
0-3
0-4

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE
League
Overall

Esperanza
3-0
12-2

Villa Park
0-1
12-4

Canyon
0-1
8-4

El Modena
0-1
8-4

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE

Overall

Foothill

9-4

El Dorado

9-9

Brea Olinda

6-8

Yorba Linda

3-5

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Westminster
1-0
10-5

Segerstrom
1-0
3-13

Garden Grove
0-0
8-2

Godinez
0-0
6-5

Katella
0-1
8-5

Ocean View
0-1
9-6

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Overall

Fullerton

12-1

Buena Park

6-3-1

Troy

7-6

Sunny Hills

3-4-1

Sonora

5-7

La Habra

4-6

GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE

Overall

Los Amigos

4-2-1

La Quinta

3-3

Bolsa Grande

2-5

Santiago

2-5

Rancho Alamitos

2-5

Loara

1-6

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Overall

Cypress

8-2-1

Pacifica

9-3

Crean Lutheran

6-2-1

Kennedy

6-4

Valencia

4-8-1

Tustin

0-2

ORANGE LEAGUE
League
Overall

Anaheim
1-0-1
3-9-2

Santa Ana Valley
0-0-1
5-0-1

Western
0-0
1-3-1

Savanna
0-0
2-8

Magnolia
0-0
0-6

Century
0-1
0-10

ORANGE COAST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Costa Mesa
1-0
6-1

Calvary Chapel
1-0
2-6

Orange
1-0
1-3

Estancia
0-1
3-3

Santa Ana
0-1
5-7

Saddleback
0-1
2-7

​ Orange County Register 

NCAA tournament: UCLA women overwhelmed by No. 1 South Carolina

• March 25, 2023

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Aaliyah Boston had eight points, 14 rebounds and two blocks while reigning national champion South Carolina turned in its latest overwhelming defense-and-rebounding-first performance to beat UCLA 59-43 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Kamilla Cardoso added 10 points for the Gamecocks (35-0), the top overall tournament seed and the headliner in the Greenville 1 Region. It marked South Carolina’s 41st consecutive victory, securing the program’s sixth trip to the Elite Eight under Dawn Staley.

The Gamecocks will play for their fifth trip to the Final Four in Monday’s regional final against 2-seed Maryland in a rematch from the season’s opening week. South Carolina won that game 81-56.

It wasn’t an easy offensive operation for South Carolina, with UCLA sagging defensively to pack the paint in hopes of negating the Gamecocks’ size advantage behind Boston. But South Carolina dominated the glass from start to finish and used its length to turn every look into a difficult one for the fourth-seeded Bruins (27-10).

South Carolina won the first meeting with UCLA 73-64 in November, with the Bruins shooting 32% in that game. Things got worse this time, with UCLA going shooting 29% – including 3 for 18 from 3-point range.South Carolina also finished with a 42-34 rebounding advantage that narrowed late with the outcome no longer in doubt.

Charisma Osborne scored 14 points to lead UCLA, which was in the Sweet 16 for the eighth time. The Bruins were trying to reach the regional finals for the first time since 2018 and only the third time in program history while pursuing their first Final Four appearance.

But in a sign of what was to come, the Bruins kept missing shots that they needed to position themselves for a stunning upset. Worse, they failed to grab even a few of those misses to keep possessions alive early, with South Carolina going on to finish with a 15-8 edge on the offensive glass.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks were able to just keep grinding and relying on their length. They led 25-15 at halftime before finally breaking this open by matching their game-long point total in the third quarter.

That included a couple of way-too-familiar sequences for UCLA coach Cori Close. Twice the Gamecocks managed to lob a pass inside to the 6-foot-7 Cardoso, who used her long arms to reach over 6-2 fronting defender Christeen Iwuala and snag the ball for easy under-the-rim finishes in traffic.

Or there was Brea Beal (10 points) using her right hand to tap out a loose rebound over Gabriela Jaquez before securing it, then dumping it immediately inside to Victaria Saxton inside for a soft hook as the lead steadily grew.

It was all the same often-demoralizing sequences that has overwhelmed teams all season, this time coming with the home-state Gamecocks as the main draw here in the new double-regional format.

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They drew loud cheers from the crowd just for making their way into the locker-room tunnel during the Notre Dame-Maryland game with their game to follow. The roars returned as each player who lingered to wrap up pregame shootaround came off the court – several waving two arms high in acknowledgement – in a mostly full arena.

The cheers were louder, of course, as the Gamecocks spent the final minutes closing out a win to advance again.

​ Orange County Register 

Phil Nevin says Angels’ closer ‘depends what the game dictates’

• March 25, 2023

TEMPE, Ariz. — Although right-hander Carlos Estévez has been widely expected get the first crack at the Angels’ closer job, some mystery will remain until the first save situation.

“I was asked who would you use on the first night,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said Saturday. “I don’t know yet. It depends what the game dictates.”

The Angels signed Estévez to a two-year, $13.5-million deal in December. The official word at the time was only that he would have a chance to close. Estévez said winning that job was his goal.

Estévez, 30, had a 3.47 ERA last season with the Colorado Rockies, and his history shows signs that he should be even more effective out of the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field. Last year, he struck out 10.8 hitters per nine innings on the road, compared with 6.3 at home.

In his first spring with the Angels, Estévez has been experimenting with different pitch usage, so it remains to be seen how he’ll perform when the games are real.

Estévez has allowed nine earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in big-league exhibition games. On Tuesday, he pitched a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, but he gave up a run in an inning Saturday.

In the Tuesday game, Estévez threw nine fastballs, seven changeups and three sliders. Last season, he threw his fastball 70% of the time and his changeup and slider about 15% each, indicating that he may still have been experimenting.

If the Angels don’t use Estévez to close, the other most likely options are Ryan Tepera and Jimmy Herget.

Nevin was notably flexible with his closer choices last year after Raisel Iglesias was traded.

“If I bring it (lefty) Aaron Loup in the seventh and they throw up a bunch of righties to face him and they don’t have anybody else, Jimmy Herget is great against righties,” Nevin said. “Estévez is great against righties. Matt Moore has been great against righties. We’ll just kind of play it out see how it goes, but (Estévez) is definitely going to get some big outs late in the game most of the year for us.”

RODRIGUEZ UPDATE

Right-hander Chris Rodriguez threw 30 pitches in a live batting practice session, his second such workout in the week. He had not faced hitters since before he underwent shoulder surgery in 2021.

Nevin said the next step for Rodriguez will likely be another live batting practice session, and then they could have him pitch in a minor-league or simulated game.

“That’s two outings in a row he felt good and was able to get his numbers up and the velo up, the shape’s up,” Nevin said. “Everything looks good on him. Obviously it’s the next day there’s always some nervous anticipation. Hopefully he feels good tomorrow and he can do it again in a couple of days.”

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NOTES

Infielder David Fletcher was originally in the lineup at shortstop for the Angels’ final Cactus League game, but he was a late scratch because of abdominal tightness. …

Right-hander Chris Devenski decided to remain with the Angels in the minors. The veteran was in camp on a minor-league deal, and he had the option to declare himself a free agent if the Angels didn’t add him to the roster by Saturday. …

The Angels released right-hander Nash Walters and outfielder Luis Barrera.

​ Orange County Register 

Sammy Howlin helped lift Fullerton College to state title after agonizing recovery from car crash

• March 25, 2023

The Fullerton College men’s basketball team recently captured its fifth state championship.

Had it not been for the contributions of 6-foot-11 sophomore Sammy Howlin, particularly through the postseason run, Fullerton would have fallen short, Hornets coach Perry Webster said.

Howlin, a 2019 La Habra High graduate, pulled down 10 rebounds, his third highest rebound total of the season, and had a blocked shot to help preserve Fullerton’s 83-73 victory over San Francisco in the CCCAA championship game March 12 at West Hills College in Lemoore.

In the Hornets’ 75-63 victory over East Los Angeles in the semifinals two days earlier, Howlin, 21, had seven points, five blocked shots and a season-high 13 rebounds.

He started all 33 games this season, leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots.

“Without him, we have no chance of winning the state championship,” Webster said.

Fullerton College coach Perry Webster, right, said 6-foot-11 sophomore Sammy Howlin, left, played a big role in the team winning the state community college championship on March 12. ‘Without him,’ Webster said, ‘we have no chance of winning the state championship.’ Webster pulled down 10 rebounds and made a key block late in the title game. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Actually, the Hornets nearly were without Howlin this season.

Howlin is not only fortunate to be playing basketball, but fortunate to be alive.

A little after 11 p.m. on May 4, 2021, Howlin and his friend and former La Habra teammate, Ja’len Overstreet, had just finished playing some pickup ball.

Days earlier, the Hornets had returned to the gym for spring practice ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Howlin had transferred to Fullerton after playing his first college season at Jessup University in Rocklin.

Overstreet was driving his 1999 Chevy Impala, with Howlin in the passenger seat.

As they drove west through the intersection of Lambert and Harbor Boulevard, the Impala was T-boned on the passenger side by a 22-year old drunk driver who drove through a red light.

The Impala spun around and careened into a large pickup truck.

Howlin was knocked unconscious and had to be extricated from the car by paramedics.

His lungs were punctured and he had to be intubated with a breathing tube.

He sustained a fractured pelvis, numerous fractured ribs, a broken left thumb, broken collar bone and a fractured orbital bone in his face.

Overstreet received severe burns on the lower part of his body.

“I just remember being in the ambulance not being able to breathe because my lungs were both popped,” Howlin said. “Next thing I know I woke up three days later in the hospital.”

Howlin spent several weeks in the hospital and was confined to a wheelchair and then could only get around with a walker.

He underwent multiple surgeries to repair his lungs and the numerous broken bones.

At that point, returning to the basketball court was an uncertainty.

The pain was unbearable at times.

“I had to suck up whatever emotion I had and get him to focus on good things,” said Michele Howlin, Sammy’s mother. “Have him focus on the family that loves him, on God. Just whatever I could do to help him to redirect.”

Because of the injuries, Howlin was granted a medical redshirt, allowing him to remain eligible at Fullerton for the 2022-23 season.

When he rejoined the Hornets in spring 2022, Howlin was wracked with trepidation.

He knew playing again would involve playing through pain.

“I just had a lot of nerves coming into this season,” he said. “The whole time I was wondering if I was going to be the same.”

Fullerton’s Sammy Howlin, right, went through a long and painful recovery process after being severely injured in a car crash in 2021, but he emerged as a key player for the Hornets as they won the community college state title for the 2022-23 season. (Photo courtesy of Aaliyah Skipper)

Webster said Howlin was holding his own during open gyms at Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, but he would be hurting the next day.

“I wasn’t going to get any better unless I felt the pain in my pelvis,” Howlin said. “I wasn’t going to run again unless I felt the pain. Everything was going to require sacrifice. I was just thinking suffering equals success and it helped me this season.”

Howlin went on to start every game for the Hornets and didn’t miss a single practice.

“I know his body didn’t feel 100 percent every day, but he battled through it,” Webster said. “Sammy really loves basketball and what the accident did was take basketball away from him and he came back to realize that that it is what he loves to do, that is what he wants to do.”

Howlin is currently considering offers to play basketball at a four-year university.

He’s not sure if he’ll play ball beyond college, but said if nothing else, basketball will pay for his education.

Howlin is also willing to share his story publicly, talking about the dangers of drunk driving and the perseverance it took to recover.Faith played a major role as well, Michele Howlin said.

“Everything that has happened with Sam is just what God has done for him,” she said. “We were there for Sam but he is just a miracle.”

​ Orange County Register 

4 homes flooded after water main breaks in San Clemente

• March 25, 2023

Four homes in San Clemente were flooded Friday night, March 24, after a water main broke on a residential street, authorities said.

Orange County firefighters were called to the 600 block of Via Presa about 11:15 p.m. and found flooding, Capt. Thanh Nguyen said.

Firefighters called San Clemente Public Works to help shut off the water, Nguyen said. The amount of damage to the four houses was not known.

Residents were briefly evacuated, Nguyen said, but it wasn’t known if any were displaced.

Video from OnSceneTV showed standing water inside one home, while residents in others were seen pushing water either out of the front door or into the garage. The video also showed water appearing to come through the break in a yard and gushing toward the residential street.

Whether Public Works had fixed the water main or was still making repairs was not immediately known as of 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County baseball standings: Saturday, March 25

• March 25, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Orange County high school baseball standings through Friday, March 24

TRINITY LEAGUE
League
Overall

Santa Margarita
7-1
10-2

Mater Dei
7-2
10-5-1

Orange Lutheran
4-5
9-6-1

JSerra
4-5
7-6

Servite
3-5
7-7

St. John Bosco
1-8
5-11

SURF LEAGUE
League
Overall

Huntington Beach
2-1
8-6

Los Alamitos
1-1
11-2

Fountain Valley
1-1
4-7

Corona del Mar
0-1
7-7

WAVE LEAGUE
League
Overall

Edison
1-0
6-5

Newport Harbor
1-0
6-6

Marina
0-1
5-9

Laguna Beach
0-1
3-6-1

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Capistrano Valley
2-0
7-4

Tesoro
2-0
6-5

Mission Viejo
0-2
8-4

Dana Hills
0-2
2-10

SEA VIEW LEAGUE
League
Overall

El Toro
2-0
5-8

San Clemente
1-0
8-2

Trabuco Hills
0-0
6-4

San Juan Hills
0-1
3-8

Aliso Niguel
0-2
2-8

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Northwood
7-1
8-2

Woodbridge
10-2
12-3

Laguna Hills
5-4
8-4

Beckman
3-4-2
5-5-2

University
3-4-1
6-4-1

Irvine
3-5-1
4-6-1

Portola
2-6
4-7

Sage Hill
1-8
3-9

ORANGE COAST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Costa Mesa
3-0
12-1

Estancia
5-1
12-2

Calvary Chapel
3-1
8-4

Orange
3-1
6-5

Santa Ana
2-4
4-7

Saddleback
0-4
1-10

St. Margaret’s
0-5
0-8

ORANGE LEAGUE
League
Overall

Century
4-0
10-3

Savanna
3-0
7-1-1

Magnolia
2-2
6-5

Anaheim
0-2
4-8

Santa Ana Valley
0-2
2-6

Western
0-3
1-8

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE
League
Overall

El Dorado
2-1
8-6

Villa Park
2-1
9-2

El Modena
1-2
9-4

Foothill
1-2
7-5

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE
League
Overall

Yorba Linda
1-0
6-7-1

Canyon
1-1
7-5

Esperanza
1-1
5-6

Brea Olinda
0-1
5-4

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE
League
Overall

Ocean View
1-0
9-6

Segerstrom
1-0
1-7-2

Westminster
0-0
8-1

Garden Grove
0-0
8-3

Katella
0-1
4-9

Godinez
0-1
1-7

EMPIRE LEAGUE
League
Overall

Cypress
5-0
10-4

Pacifica
0-0
11-2

Crean Lutheran
0-0
9-3

Valencia
0-1
2-8

Kennedy
0-2
6-6-1

Tustin
0-2
1-12

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Overall

La Habra

7-1-2

Fullerton

8-3

Sunny Hills

7-3-1

Buena Park

7-4-0

Troy

7-4-1

Sonora

7-6

GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE
League
Overall

Loara
3-0
4-4

Santiago
3-1
4-5

Los Amigos
3-2
6-4

Bolsa Grande
1-2
3-7

La Quinta
1-3
3-7

Rancho Alamitos
1-4
2-7

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE
League
Overall

Calvary Chapel/Downey
4-0
6-4-1

Western Christian
3-0
4-1

Pacifica Christian
3-2
5-3

Fairmont Prep
4-3
4-4

The Webb Schools
3-4-1
3-4-1

Tarbut V’Torah
1-3
1-3

Avalon
0-2
1-3

Southlands Christian
0-4-1
1-5-1

Capistrano Valley Christian
0-0
6-7

​ Orange County Register 

Angel City FC’s Alyssa Thompson ready for NWSL debut

• March 25, 2023

Alyssa Thompson is in an interesting position.

The 18-year-old is in her senior year at Harvard-Westlake, but was also the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft for her hometown team Angel City FC.

She still has classes to take while also embarking on her professional soccer career.

“I’m taking three online classes and then I’m going to school for one class,” she said. “With school, it’s definitely an adjustment. I’m still adjusting.”

Her work on the field and training ground has opened the eyes of her new coach.

“I’ve been very impressed with her,” Angel City FC coach Freya Coombe said. “I’ve been impressed with her ability to adjust to playing professionally. She’s obviously got a lot on her plate with finishing up school, but she’s doing a great job of coming in and training consistently at a high level.”

The preseason camp was long enough for Thompson to go away with the U.S. U-23 national team for games in France, where she scored two goals. In her home debut in an exhibition earlier this month, Thompson scored in a friendly against Club America.

She admitted to having nerves on the way to the game, but certainly didn’t look it.

“It looked like she had played in 100 games in this stadium,” Coombe said of Thompson. “The occasion didn’t put her off … she looked threatening all night.”

Now comes the real season. Thompson and Angel City FC kick off the 2023 campaign Sunday against NJ/NY Gotham FC at BMO Stadium (6 p.m., Paramount +).

“Preseason, overall has been a really good one,” she said. “It’s helped me a lot to get into pro mode and being able to be with the girls and them being able to teach me everything, like recovery and just getting acclimated to the environment.

“Being able to play with older players since I was younger has helped me be to where I am today. Now, it helps me mature both on and off the field. I feel like soccer is one part of my day and then I get to go with my friends and be with them, so I don’t feel like I’m always with older people. That’s why I think it’s so important that I get to go to school still and be with people my age. I still want to be an 18-year-old and I still want to be with my friends. I appreciate both experiences and it has helped become the person that I am.

Thompson is on everybody’s list of players to watch this season. She enters into a situation where Angel City will certainly take whatever production she provides. Savannah McCaskill led Angel City with seven goals last season after never scoring more than in a season since debuting in the league in 2018. The team is still waiting for Sydney Leroux (ankle) and Christen Press (ACL) to return from injuries.

The last two attacking players in the NWSL to win Rookie of the Year scored six goals in their season.

“I don’t want to place expectations on players,” Coombe said. “I think it’s about her coming into our team and contributing to our success. I think that can be done in a number of ways, but in the terms of goals that I’m expecting from her or anything like that, I’m not going to set particular numbers or goal benchmarks on that … but it’s coming in and making a positive contribution to the team.”

If there is a team that Thompson could have landed on, being home is the best option. She is surrounded by her family and her sister Gisele, a junior at Harvard-Westlake, was also a trialist during training camp with Angel City.

Aside from scoring goals, Thompson’s personal goals are simple.

“I just want to keep developing and playing at the highest level that I can,” she said. “Working to maybe be on the World Cup roster, that’s a goal for me, and to just continuing to grow as a player.”

ACFC defender and captain Ali Riley also attended Harvard-Westlake and then went to Stanford. Heading to Stanford was Thompson’s initial plan until she decided to turn professional.

“We know so many of the same people from the soccer world in Los Angeles, it is so exciting having her,” Riley said. “To be here, we’re going to support her. And looking at the diversity of the team and how much representation we have, the visibility for young girls to come from L.A, such a diverse city, who come to our game, will really think, ‘This is who I want to be, I see myself in her.’ And be able to dream. And that is so important.

“I think she’s really going to embrace this experience and really inspire a lot of young people.”

And when not serving as a role model for hopeful youth players, Thompson could pose a problem for opposing teams.

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“I don’t think players we play against will necessarily know how to defend her,” Riley said. “I think there will be a lot of eyes watching her. She is so composed, she’s so mature, such an exciting player, and it is cool to have this impressive, young talent playing at home in L.A. on this team.”

NJ/NY Gotham FC at Angel City FC

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: Paramount+

​ Orange County Register