Girls water polo: Newport gets the job done, 7-4

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - The Newport Harbor High girls water polo team added

another piece to the CIF Southern Section Division I playoff puzzle with

a 7-4 nonleague victory over visiting Capistrano Valley Saturday morning.

Though it seemed the Sailors (14-4) might have jammed the piece in,

they took care of business, nonetheless. Junior Annie Wight led Newport

with three goals and senior Katherine Belden scored two, while sophomore

Jessica Ball and junior Jenna Murphy added a goal each.

Newport Coach Bill Barnett and assistant Jason Lynch attended a

national water polo conference in Texas, and junior varsity coach Les

Cutler took over the head coaching duties. Cutler, who coached three

games Saturday, said, while the game against a CIF Division I opponent

was important for playoff seedings, the Sailors did not play with their

usual intensity.

“Our defense was good,� Cutler said. “This was an important game as

far as record and potential seeding down the road. (The Cougars) had a

very good goalie. We had a number of open shots that were stuffed.�

The Sailors, who defeated Irvine, 11-0, Wednesday, to seemingly assure

a Sea View League title, built a 3-0 lead after Wight scored the first of

her hat trick from set, 1:38 into the second period. Capistrano Valley

responded with its first goal two minutes later, but Wight came back with

a goal 18 seconds before halftime. She scored from set again after a pass

from Ball.

“I don’t think we played very well,� said Belden, the team captain who

will play for UCLA next season. “Annie Wight had a great game. But we

seemed a little slow motion (Saturday).�

Belden, who scored four goals in the win over Irvine, put in a

four-meter penalty shot, after Wight drew the penalty, for a 6-3 lead

with 1:24 left in the third period.

Belden secured the win with a strong effort that led to a goal with

2:20 remaining. Despite two defenders clinging to her back, she scored

after a pass from Wight that gave the Sailors a 7-3 advantage.

Capistrano Valley junior goalie Meridith McColl recorded seven of her

10 saves in the second period when Newport fired off 10 shots and Wight

scored twice. The Cougars scored three goals on player-advantage

situations and one on a penalty shot.

Newport senior goalie Leah Grocki stopped five shots and anchored a

defense that produced 10 steals in the second half, including four by

Murphy.

The Sailors, who lost 5-4 to Foothill in the semifinals of the Santa

Barbara Tournament Jan. 12., will face the Knights in a rematch at

Newport’s pool, Friday at 3:15 p.m. Foothill will enter the Sea View

League next year.

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor 7, Capistrano Valley 4

Capistrano Valley 0 1 2 1 - 4

Newport Harbor 2 2 2 1 - 7

Capistrano Valley - Banks 2, Seuc 1, Meadows 1. Saves - McColl 10.

Newport Harbor - Wight 3, Belden 2, Murphy 1, Ball 1. Grocki 5.