Steve Virgen Day 1 in the Senior...

Steve Virgen

Day 1 in the Senior Nationals resulted in displaying domination

for the Newport Harbor Water Polo Foundation ‘A’ team. Newport Coach

Ted Newland’s players were men among boys as they displayed their

prowess in two victories on the first day of the Senior Nationals at

Corona del Mar High. Newport scored a 17-4 victory over Paradise (UC

Santa Barbara) and an 18-5 victory over Lion (Loyola Marymount).

“We’re basically playing against a college team; it’s a little

different than playing against a team like Hungary,” said two-meter

man Ryan Bailey, a U.S. National Team member who led Newport with 14

goals on the day, seven in each victory. “This was not quite as

aggressive as I’m used to. It will be different (today).”

Newport Harbor WPF A started its day with a sound victory over

Paradise, and from the outset, Bailey led the team mainly made up of

UC Irvine alumni. Newland is a longtime coach of UCI. Bailey, class

of ‘99, scored Newport’s first three goals. Newport built a 4-0 lead

with just three minutes spent. There are seven-minute quarters in the

Senior Nationals, and Newport still managed to put up football

scores.

Bailey scored three more goals in the second quarter. Fellow

two-meter man Jeff Powers, who will be a senior at UCI in the fall,

contributed four goals, while Omar Amr, Dan Klatt and UCI assistant

water polo coach Marc Hunt added two each. Amr, Powers, Klatt, Bailey

and goalie Genai Kerr are U.S. National Team members.

Kerr recorded eight saves, frustrating and intimidating Paradise

with his 6-foot-8, 210-pound frame. He stopped nine shots to help

lead Newport to the win over Lion. Kerr and Newport held Lion

scoreless in the third quarter, and Kerr also fed Bailey and Amr on

successful counter attacks.

In addition to Bailey’s seven goals, Mike Evans, a three-time

Olympian scored three, as did Powers. Amr added two and Hunt, Klatt

and Skylar Putnam contributed one each.

In the third quarter, Newport could have been known as the Harlem

Globetrotters of the pool, outscoring Lion, 5-0, and it could have

been six if Powers had netted a penalty shot. His teammates joked

with him about the missed shot.

“He locked himself up for the Hall of Fame for the worst

four-meter shot of all time,” joked Klatt, who is one of the coaches

of Foothill High water polo, a prep powerhouse.

The teasing among the players is but a reflection of their unity.

The Newport Harbor Water Polo Foundation of UCI alumni is similar to

a fraternity. Kerr describes the team as a family, while Bailey said

that translates on to the play in the pool.

The team aspect was displayed in Newport’s supreme ball movement

throughout its game against Lion poloists. With 45 seconds remaining

in the third, Bailey put the exclamation point on that ball movement

with a dazzling spin move and shot to finish a breakaway. “How did he

do that,” echoed throughout the crowd.

“I want to show these guys the level of play of U.S. water polo,”

Bailey said. “I want to play seriously, not holding back. Maybe the

college kids can learn and know what it’s like to play against the

Hungarians.”

Newport will face Bruin (UCLA) today at 1 p.m. Bruin also defeated

Lion, 11-4. Former Newport Harbor High standout Peter Belden and

Corona del Mar product Garrett Bowlus scored one goal each.

Former CdM coach John Vargas, who also coached the 2000 U.S.

Olympic team, is in familiar waters with his Stanford squad, which

defeated Big Valley (University of the Pacific), 10-5. Stanford duels

defending Senior Nationals champion New York Athletic Club today at

noon.