Boys water polo: Harbor crushes Uni, 15-8

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - After a quarter of warming up, Newport Harbor

High’s boys water polo team accelerated to full throttle in the second

quarter Saturday morning.

In the process, the host Sailors beat University, 15-8, in a nonleague

game that was decided before halftime.

“It was one of our better quarters this year, and our counterattack

was working pretty well,” Harbor Coach Jason Lynch said of his team’s 8-1

pounding of the Trojans in the second quarter, leading to an 11-1 edge at

the half.

In the second, the Sailors (3-5) forced University (5-8) into nine

turnovers, while Brent Armstrong (two steals), Ross Sinclair, Nathan

Weiner, Jonathan Huang and Charlie Hockenbury were credited with Newport

steals.

“What can you say? We’re learning how to play varsity water polo, and

Newport Harbor is such a good team, (it) capitalized on all of our

mistakes,” Uni Coach Jon Pendleton said.

Armstrong and Sinclair scored four goals each, while Weiner added

three. Hockenbury and Michael Bury added two goals each for the winners.

On defense, Nathan McLain and Alex Stabler shared time in the goalie

cage with six combined saves. Stabler blocked one Uni shot from close

range in the third quarter on a one-on-one.

“We had about 20 steals,” Lynch said. “And Hockenbury played two-meter

guard for us and did a good job (for Ryan Bean, who has been sick all

week). Hockenbury did a good job filling in and stepping up.”

Newport, which travels to Aliso Niguel to open Sea View League play

Wednesday at 3:15 p.m., scored three goals in the first quarter,

including a pair of six-on-five goals by Brad Dillman. Weiner scored on a

penalty shot with 0:12 left in the first for a 3-0 Harbor advantage.

University, which was forced into five turnovers in the first quarter

and 14 in the half, scored its first goal with 5:20 left in the second

quarter. But Harbor responded with seven unanswered first-half goals, all

coming on the counterattack.

The Sailors converted all eight of their shots-on-goal in the second

quarter.

After Weiner went coast to coast for a counterattack goal with 2:02 to

play in the second, it gave the Tars a 10-1 lead, prompting a poolside

frosh-soph Uni player to quip: “When do we get in?”

Weiner, Armstrong, Sinclair and Bury scored two goals each in the

second quarter.

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor 15, University 8 University 0 1 2 5 - 8

Newport Harbor 3 8 1 3 - 15

Uni - Fyfe 3, Hicks 2, Mock 1, Song 1, Swanson 1. Saves: Maranhao 2.

Newport - Armstrong 4, Sinclair 4, Weiner 3, Bury 2, Dillman 2. Saves:

McLain 2, Stabler 4.