Sailors get it done

Bryce Alderton

If there were ever a “hard-earned” victory, the Newport Harbor

High girls water polo team got one Friday over visiting Santa

Margarita.

In what Newport coaches and players said was one of the more

physical games of the early season, the Sailors did all their scoring

in the first and third periods to notch a 7-4 nonleague victory.

Newport managed only 10 shots, but improved to 9-2, winning its third

consecutive game.

The Sailors drew 10 ejections to the Eagles’ seven and capitalized

on two of the six-on-five advantages, both coming in the third

period.

“I definitely knew it was going to be a physical game but I like

tough games,” said Newport sophomore Anne Belden, who scored a goal

and added an assist and one steal.

Players battled for position at two meters, which made throwing

entry passes dangerous propositions at times. An occasional jab to

the face caused referees to blow their whistles signaling an

ejection.

“They grabbed a lot inside, but you just have to give it back,”

said Newport senior Annie Wight, an All-CIF Division I second-team

member a year ago. Wight scored two goals less than two minutes apart

in similar fashion to begin the third period and give the hosts a 5-1

lead with 4:53 left in the quarter.

Jessica Ball and Paige Lansing, each an All-CIF second-team pick

last season, both lobbed balls into Wight, swimming with her back to

the opposing goal at two meters. Wight then turned her body 90

degrees as the balls lobbed in, swinging her right hand at the yellow

sphere and sending both shots into the net.

“We practice that almost every day,” said Wight of the six-on-five

offensive set. “Those were really good passes.”

Ball, who scored once, led the Sailors with three assists while

Jenna Murphy, an All-CIF first-team selection who will continue her

water polo career at UCLA, led Newport with four steals and scored

two goals. Wight leads the team with 26 goals while Murphy has 25.

Lansing also scored one goal, shooting the ball from 15 meters out to give Newport a 3-0 lead with seven seconds to go in the first

quarter.

The Sailors jumped to a 3-0 lead after one period, went cold in

the second quarter, but came alive after halftime. Four-third period

goals gave Newport a lead as big as 7-2 to begin the final period

before Santa Margarita (7-4) scored twice.

Sailor goalie Terin Cottam played her best game of the season,

Barnett said. Cottam made nine saves on 12 Santa Margarita shot

attempts, including two on Sarah Hamilton and Erika Figge, both

members of the U.S. national youth team.

An example of Cottam’s aggressiveness Friday came in the final

period when she shot up out of the water to deflect a ball headed for

the goal. Cottam swam to the left of the net where the landed, about

two meters away from the cage, in front of a charging opponent.

Hamilton scored twice, but was heavily guarded by Raelyn Ritchie.

In the first quarter Ritchie put up both arms and didn’t let the

offensive player get closer than 15 meters of the goal, causing a

violation of the 35-second shot clock.

“(Ritchie) played well on her,” said Barnett, who was encouraged

by his team’s effort.

Newport beat Santa Margarita for the second time this season. The

Sailors won an earlier matchup in the semifinals of the Newport

Harbor-Corona del Mar Holiday Cup, 10-8.

Nonleague

Newport 7, Santa Margarita 4

Score by Quarters

S. Margarita 0 1 1

2 -- 4

Newport 3 0 4

0 -- 7

Santa Margarita -- Hamilton 2, Anderson 1, E. Figge 1.

Saves -- O’Connor 4.

Newport -- Murphy 2, Wight 2, Ball 1, Belden 1, Lansing 1. Saves

-- Cottam -- 9.