Newport rolls past El Toro

Steve Virgen

El Toro High girls water polo coach Don Stoll said he was proud of

the way his team stuck to the game plan. But the Chargers’ efforts

were simply not enough against a Newport Harbor team that Stoll said

has no weaknesses.

The Sailors used a balanced attack and patience on offense to

defeat host El Toro, 11-6, in a quarterfinal of the CIF Southern

Section Division I playoffs Saturday.

“They have a lefty with speed [Anne Belden],” Stoll said. “They

have size at set [Carolyn Conway and Ashling Taylor]. They have good

defense and good goalies [Kim Housepian and Terin Cottam]. There are

no weaknesses on that team. They have outside shooting and

[effective] two-meter players.”

Stoll wanted the Chargers to slow down the game, take away

Newport’s counterattack and two-meter offense, or Conway. El Toro

succeeded in controlling the tempo, but the Sailors adjusted with

patience and productive outside shooting.

Newport Harbor (25-3), the CIF Division I top seed and the Sea

View League champion, outscored the Chargers, 5-1, in the first

quarter to grab control of the game.

“Early in the game, I thought we had really good patience on

offense and we had some good outside shooting,” Newport Harbor Coach

Bill Barnett said.

Barnett said the Sailors are capable of winning the rest of their

games. They face Long Beach Wilson Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. in a

semifinal at Newport. Last year, semifinal games were at a neutral

site, but that is not the case this season.

If the Sailors win they will take on either Foothill or Santa

Margarita in the championship game March 2 at 8:15 p.m. at Belmont

Plaza. Santa Margarita upset Los Alamitos, the No. 3 seed, 6-4,

Saturday.

Barnett said his players seemed more focused than in their

first-round victory over Lakewood Thursday. Conway also helped

Newport’s cause as she is now 100% healthy. She led the Sailors with

four goals, while Belden added three, Taylor two and Melissa Wheeler

and Sarah Mutt contributed one each. Mutt also had three steals.

Mutt connected on an outside shot 78 seconds into the game to get

things started for the Sailors. Belden also scored on an outside shot

and Conway found the back of the cage on a six-on-five opportunity.

Belden finished on a counterattack with 1:54 left in the first

quarter for a 4-0 lead.

The Chargers (16-14) came within, 5-3, with 2:39 left before

halftime, but Conway scored two goals in set, taking nice passes from

sophomore Leah Robertson and Belden.

The Sailors went on a 3-0 run in the third quarter, to go up,

10-4, and put the game out of reach. Wheeler scored at two meters,

Taylor finished on a counterattack and also scored in set to provide

security for Newport.

“We don’t have all the best players, but we have the right

players,” Conway said. “We all come together as a team. There’s no

one person who is the best. We all even each other out. Some people’s

strengths are other people’s weaknesses. We just balance each other

out.”

*--*

CIF Southern Section Division I

Quarterfinal

Newport Harbor 11, El Toro 6

Score by Quarters

Newport 5 2 3 1 -- 11

El Toro 1 3 1 1 -- 6

Newport -- Conway 4, Belden 3, Taylor 2, Mutt 1,

Wheeler 1. Saves -- Housepian 8, Cottam 3. El

Toro -- Pierson 4, Nunn 1, Duggleby 1. Saves --

Randall 5, Smith 1.

*--*