Sailors roll into Div. I quarterfinals

Barry Faulkner

The Newport Harbor High boys water polo team opened pursuit of its

12th CIF Southern Section championship against a Northwood team

playing the school’s first playoff game Thursday and the result was

predictable.

The Sailors, showing no postseason jitters, zero complacency and

no mercy, jumped on the Timberwolves from the outset and cruised to a

15-7 triumph that propels them into Saturday’s CIF Division I

quarterfinal against El Toro at a site to be determined.

The No. 4-seeded Sailors (19-9), scored the game’s first two

goals, led, 6-1, after the first seven-minute quarter and were up,

12-2, at halftime. Coach Jason Lynch’s hosts applied relentless

defensive pressure to provoke 18 first-half turnovers and allowing

them to score several easy counterattack goals to establish control.

Lynch, who acknowledged playoff butterflies are an endangered

species in his locker room, said he was pleased with his team’s

initial focus.

“Our defense was very intense early and that led to some

opportunities on the counterattack,” Lynch said. “I thought our

performance was pretty good today, though we lost a little focus (in

the second half). I wouldn’t say we were nervous and we weren’t

taking them lightly.”

Junior Michael Bury scored two of the first three Sailor goals and

junior Ross Sinclair had two of his team-leading four assists in the

opening period. Senior Nathan Weiner, junior Bryan Auer and senior

Charlie Hockenberry added first-quarter goals as Northwood (13-7),

the third-place representative from the Pacific Coast League, managed

its only shot from long range in the final seconds of the first half.

Senior Jay Thompson keyed a swarming Harbor defense, earning a

game-high seven steals.

Weiner, Hockenberry and Bury finished with three goals apiece,

while Thomspon added two of his own.

Starting goalie Michael Robinson had three steals to go with his

one save, before giving way to senior Nathan McLain, who stopped five

shots and had one steal.

Sinclair and Bury had three steals apiece, while Bury, Auer,

Thompson and Clay Jorth each collected a pair of assists for the

winners.

CIF DIVISION I PLAYOFFS

First round

Newport Harbor 15, Northwood 7

Northwood 2 0 2

3 -- 7

Newport Harbor 6 6 2

1 -- 15

Northwood -- Londick 4, Lantgen 2, Kaford 1. Saves -- S.

Wiebe -- Bailey 9.

Newport Harbor -- Bury 3, Weiner 3, Hockenberry 3,

Thompson 2, Sinclair 1, Armstrong 1, Schmidt 1. Saves -- Robinson 1,

McLain 5.