Sailors settle for 3rd

NEWPORT BEACH — Who’s the best boys’ water polo team in Division I of the CIF Southern Section? Who was the best team at this week’s South Coast Tournament?

The logical answer would be Loyola of Los Angeles. But if you ask Newport Harbor High Coach Jason Lynch, he’ll tell you something different.

“In my opinion, [the Sailors are] the best team; I’m not biased,” Lynch said after his team beat Mater Dei, 7-5, to secure third place in the 32-team tournament Saturday. “But we didn’t prove that and so now we have to spend the rest of the season trying to prove it.”

Newport Harbor entered the tournament that started Thursday seeded No. 1 and ranked first in Division I.

Lynch said the Sailors didn’t play like it.

“These guys have to try to figure it out,” Lynch said. “I hope it’s a wake-up call.”

The Sailors (7-1) for the most part were outplayed by Loyola in the semifinals Saturday morning, Lynch said. Early on, they trailed, 3-0, but scored three straight to get back in it. Yet after three quarters it was the No. 3-ranked Cubs who were in charge with an 8-3 lead. Nikola Vavic, a member on the U.S. junior team, had his way, scoring four goals.

Newport Harbor held Loyola scoreless in the fourth quarter and scored three of its own. Still, a two-goal deficit proved to be too much for the Sailors. They had two six-on-five opportunities in the fourth, but still couldn’t find the cage.

“We expected to be first. We were seeded first,” said Lynch, who later watched as Loyola won the South Coast Tournament, after an 8-5 win over El Toro. “We did not play our best water polo in the semifinals. Loyola, they were hungrier than we were probably, which is hard to explain. They outplayed us for a lot of the game. We probably played about six strong minutes out of the 28 and were not able to get it done.

“This [Mater Dei] game was OK. It was a nice win, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Against the Monarchs the Sailors once again showed strong defense in the fourth period, holding Mater Dei scoreless.

Newport Harbor goalie Chris Whitelegge came up with some big-time stops in the final quarter, recording five of his 11 saves. Blake Kelly, Zach Lucas and Jack Yeager recorded three steals each.

Kelly, Lucas and Matt Russell notched two goals each. And, it was Harry Tingler’s goal late in the third quarter that gave Newport Harbor a 7-4 lead. Tingler scored on a power play, finishing off a pass from Dane Sequiera for one of his two assists.

Mater Dei scored with nine seconds left in the third, the final goal of the game.

It was all about Harbor’s defense in the fourth. In addition to Whitelegge’s strong play, the Sailors stuffed the Monarchs on two power-play chances.