Newport still wants more

SANTA BARBARA — After beating Ayala, 5-3, in the opening round of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions on Friday, the Newport Harbor girls’ water polo team wanted more.

Never mind that Ayala is the defending CIF Southern Section Division III champion. The Sailors felt like they could do better.

“We didn’t feel that good about our first game, just squeezing by,” said junior Jessica Robinson.

But Coach Bill Barnett’s Sailors did much more than that in their quarterfinal, topping Long Beach Wilson, 5-2, at Santa Barbara High in a game that saw the Tars always under control.

Newport Harbor (12-5) advances to today’s semifinal against Montebello at 11 a.m. Should the Sailors win, they’ll play either Corona del Mar or Foothill in the tournament championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m. at Santa Barbara High.

The quarterfinal game against Long Beach Wilson was a rematch of a game a week before, when the Sailors edged the Bruins, 8-7, on Jan. 12.

Things were different at the Tournament of Champions. Newport Harbor scored three goals in the first four minutes, from Marisa Cottam, Sarah Roberts and Robinson, to grab a commanding 3-0 lead.

“We were all pumped up,” Cottam said. “We knew we had to start the game hard. We knew that if we put them on their toes at the beginning, then we could take them to the end.”

The Sailors kept their three-goal advantage at halftime before Wilson’s Drea Artukovich scored cross-cage with four minutes, nine seconds left in the third quarter. But Roberts answered, getting separation at two meters and lofting in a goal with 2:46 left in the quarter.

After Wilson’s Cassie Schroder scored on a penalty shot midway through the fourth quarter, Robinson provided the game’s final goal, scoring a rocket shot from seven meters on a nice pass from Jillian Chiapuzio.

“I thought our whole setup was more confident and stronger,” Cottam said. “Last time [against Wilson], on defense we were getting turned, and we were getting ejections left and right. I think we played nose-to-nose defense [tonight] and kept our hips up, and that’s what helped us take the game.”

Cottam also had four steals in the earlier win against Ayala, but the hero was senior Betsy Martin. Inserted with the score tied. 3-3, in the fourth quarter, Martin scored two goals to give the Sailors the win.

The first came with 5:32 left in the game on Mimi Bury’s assist. Then, with 1:02 left, Martin, a lefty, made a shot from five meters for an insurance goal.

“Someone had to go out there and score, and it was just my time,” Martin said.

Barnett said he put in her in there for just that reason.

Cottam, Roberts and Robinson all added goals against Ayala, and senior Allyssa Peterson had two steals.

In facing Montebello today, the Sailors hope to avenge an 8-7 loss to the Oilers on Jan. 6. Newport is also searching for its first Tournament of Champions title. The Sailors finished in second place from 2003 through 2005 before finishing fourth last year.

Tournament of ChampionsQuarterfinal

Newport Harbor 5,

Long Beach Wilson 2

Score by Quarters

Wilson

0

0

1

1

—

2

Newport

3

0

1

1

—

5

Wilson -- Schroder 1, Artukovich 1. Saves -- Hardy 4.

Newport Harbor -- Roberts 2, Robinson 2, Cottam 1. Saves -- Vickers 5.

First round

Newport Harbor 5, Ayala 3

Score by Quarters

Ayala

0

2

1

0

—

3

Newport

2

0

1

2

—

5

Ayala -- Campbell 1, Ford 1, Curran 1. Saves -- Dement 11.

Newport Harbor -- Martin 2, Cottam 1, Roberts 1, Robinson 1. Saves -- Vickers 3.