Sailors mix it up, 12-5

Bryce Alderton

Excluding goalkeeper Terin Cottam, not one Newport Harbor High

girls water polo player seemed to stay in the same place for very

long Saturday against host University. The Sailors, 11-2, 1-0 in the Sea View League and winners of five straight, maneuvered off screens

and popped back out to free themselves from defenders to score a

dozen times in a 12-5 nonleague victory over the Trojans (8-8).

Newport’s Jenna Murphy, a CIF Southern Section Division I

first-team member a year ago and headed to UCLA next season, led the

attack with five goals in the first three quarters, including a trio

in the third period. The All-Sea View League pick added one assist

and four steals, one of 21 takeaways created by Newport’s defense.

Murphy and teammates practiced a new play Friday in which players

rotated more often to free up someone in the middle.

“We tried to confuse the defense,” Murphy said. “We came out ready

to play and knew what we had to do.”

Murphy and All-CIF second-team selection Annie Wight, who scored

three goals while adding one assist and three steals, connected on a

pick-and-roll to start the second period. Wight tossed the ball into

Murphy at two meters and then burst through the defense to receive a

pass right back and she put it goal to give the Sailors a 4-0 lead

just 18 seconds into the period. Murphy also found Wight for

Newport’s first goal just 20 seconds into the game.

Murphy and Wight, both seniors, have been playing together for six

years, so they know quite often what the other player is going to do.

“We have a special connection,” Murphy said.

The in-sync offense for Newport, ranked No. 2 to Foothill in CIF

Division I, continued to the third period as they converted their

second of three six-on-five situations. Senior Jessica Ball, an

All-CIF second-team selection a year ago, forced a University player

to the near corner in Newport’s zone and popped the ball from the

Trojan’s grasp. The Newport assist leader Saturday (four) raced down

the pool and threw to sophomore Anne Belden, who quickly relayed the

toss to Murphy for the goal to give the Sailors a 9-2 lead with 1:53

remaining in the period. Murphy gave the Sailors a 10-2 lead at the end of three quarters.

Newport increased the lead to 12-2 with single goals by Katie

Erickson and Carolyn Conway in the fourth quarter before University’s

Marina Mayer notched a hat trick to narrow the winning margin. Conway

scored on a rebound of a shot from senior Tiffany Manderino that hit

the right post.

Sailors’ assistant coach Robert Grayeli filled in for Bill

Barnett, who was out of town on business.

“All were running the offense well,” Grayeli said. “The driving

wasn’t always there but they spread themselves out well for the most

part. It makes it easy when you have good two-meter players like

Murphy, Wight, Conway and Ball.”

Murphy added to her team lead in goals that now stands at 32 while

Wight is second with 29. Ball increased her team-lead in steals to 43

in Saturday’s victory.

Senior Raelyn Ritchie made her presence known for University

players entering Newport territory with five steals and also added a

goal and an assist.

In the waning moments of the second quarter Ritchie reached around

an opponent’s head to deflect an entry pass and came up with the ball

and just minutes later threw a hand up to block a shot on

University’s Laura Crooks that flew above the cage. Paige Lansing

added two steals.

Cottam made three saves and continued to play well, Grayeli said.

“This is a good group of girls that work hard and play hard,”

Grayeli said.

“They are all good friends and are never bickering. They like what

they do.”

University capitalized on 4 of 7 man-advantage chances while

Newport went 1 for 4 on the six-on-fives.

The Sailors return to Sea View League play on Wednesday when they

host Irvine.

In frosh-soph play:

Newport handed University a 15-3 loss, as four players scored

three goals each.

Amanda Barto, Cali Manderino, Melissa Wheeler and Leah Robertson

all had hat tricks for Newport, 9-0, 1-0 in league. Kalli Lucas,

Katie Roberts and Jordan Weiner each had single goals.

Goalkeepers Kendal Nelson (five saves) and Elizabeth Layton (three

saves) keyed the defense.