Girls water polo: Newport boots Foothill

Joseph Boo

NEWPORT BEACH - Down, 4-2, at halftime to visiting Foothill High,

Newport Harbor girls water polo coach Bill Barnett simply walked over to

the other side of the pool when both teams switched sides.

That was all the coach had to do as the Sailors (16-4) came back to top

the No. 3 team in CIF Southern Section Division I, 7-5, in a nonleague

game on Friday.

“I didn’t tell them anything,” Barnett said with a laugh. “Foothill was

much more emotional and aggressive in the first half. Our girls realized

they had to come out and match their intensity and aggressiveness.”

Newport, ranked No. 7 in Division I, surpassed Foothill (13-5) in the

third quarter with three goals in three minutes from Ali Taylor, Jenna

Murphy and Katherine Gregg.

The Sailors took the lead for good in the fourth when Kyndra Cox scored

on a six-on-five. Her third goal finalized the scoring.

Foothill scored three times in the game’s first four minutes. Cox scored

Newport’s first goal on a four-meter shot. Katherine Belden then scored

to close the deficit to 3-2, before the Knights scored again.

Foothill had a plethora of good scoring opportunities, but Newport goalie

Heather Deyden turned the Knights away. She made eight saves, stifled

four Foothill six-on-fives, and blocked one point-blank shot.

“Heather did a great job today,” Barnett said. “She kept us in the game

early.”

The Newport victory breaks a three-game losing streak to ranked Division

I teams, after starting the season ranked No. 1.

“I think this game helps us a lot psychologically,” Barnett said. “It

shows our girls that we can compete with top competition. It’s a real

confidence builder.”

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 7, Foothill 5

Score by quarters

Foothill 3 1 1 0 - 5

Newport Harbor 1 1 3 2 - 7

Foothill - Domanic 3, Coberly 2. Saves - Feher 8.

Newport Harbor - Cox 3, Belden 1, Taylor 1, Murphy 1, Gregg 1. Saves -

Deyden 8.