Girls water polo: Newport gets back on track

Joseph Boo

NEWPORT BEACH - Woodbridge High might not have one of the strongest

girls water polo programs around, but host Newport Harbor, ranked No. 7

in CIF Southern Section Division I, needed a big win against the

Warriors in a Sea View League matchup. And Newport got the “W” in the win

column on Wednesday, annihilating the Warriors, 15-2.

“We knew this was going to be an easy game,” Newport Harbor Coach Bill

Barnett said, “and we started off really well.”

Things haven’t been too easy for Newport (15-4, 1-1 in league) since an

8-7 loss to Villa Park in the finals of the Newport Harbor-Corona del Mar

Tournament Jan. 8. Since then, the Sailors have lost three out of their

last five games, although all the losses came to ranked Division I teams.

So Woodbridge (6-14, 0-2) was a welcome guest in Newport’s pool. The

Sailors ran out to a quick 6-0 lead after one quarter, with two goals

from Jenna Murphy and Kyndra Cox. Katherine Belden and McKenna Mosier

scored the other two Sailor goals.

Newport’s vaunted counterattacks, which were spotty in the last five

games, came alive against Woodbridge. The Sailors continuously found open

shots, making life hard on Woodbridge goalie Jenn Moddy.

“Coming in, we were hoping to get a lot of fastbreaks and

counterattacks,” Barnett said. “And we started off really well, getting

good counters and nice runs.”

Murphy added two more goals in the second quarter to make the halftime

score, 8-0, before most of Newport’s starters were pulled in the second

half.

But Newport didn’t let up. Erin Ball scored two quick goals in the third

quarter to give the Sailors a 10-goal lead. Woodbridge finally scored

with 35 seconds left, but Katherine Gregg responded immediately with a

Newport goal.

In the fourth, Newport goalie Heather Deyden, who had six saves, switched

positions with Belden. Deyden took full advantage of her opportunity,

scoring Newport’s 12th goal. Belden, a sophomore who first played goalie

as a freshman, made four saves.

Ronnie McKendry added the Sailors’ 14th goal. And, unfortunately for

Woodbridge, Murphy re-entered the game as a setter and scored twice,

giving her a total of six goals.

“I wish she shot like that every game,” Barnett said. “I just want her to

shoot more.”

There were few, if any, negatives Newport could derive from this game.

The Sailors can only hope that Wednesday is when they revert back to the

11-1 team that started the season and not the 2-3 team of the past two

weeks. Newport resumes its tough schedule Friday, against No. 3 Foothill.

“Friday is very important for us,” Barnett said. “We’ll see where we’re

at after that game.”

Friday’s game, originally scheduled at Foothill, was moved to Newport

Harbor, at 3 p.m. The Sailors’ schedule gets even tougher this weekend

with the Southern California Championships at Irvine. The event boasts

all 10 teams ranked in Division I.

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Newport Harbor 15, Woodbridge 2 Score by quarters

Woodbridge 0 0 1 1 - 2

Newport Harbor 6 2 3 4 - 15

Woodbridge - Inomata 1, Gauthier 1. Saves - Moddy 4.

Newport Harbor - Murphy 6, Cox 2, Ball 2, Belden 1, Mosier 1, Gregg 1,

Deyden 1, McKendry 1. Saves - Deyden 6, Belden 4.