CdM still No. 1

Bryce Alderton

AT&T; or Sprint may have some competition for Newport-Mesa’s

long-distance provider after Friday’s Back Bay girls water polo duel

between Corona del Mar High and Newport Harbor.

The Sea Kings (4-0) used the long-range perimeter shot to score

five of their six goals to beat the Sailors, 6-5 -- the second

consecutive year Corona has defeated its district rival.

Last season, Corona beat Newport, 8-7, for the first time since

girls water polo became CIF sanctioned in 1998. Friday’s nonleague

clash at CdM had the makings of another classic.

Six different players scored for Corona: Danielle Carlson, Camille

Hewko, Vivian Liao, Daniela DiGiacomo, Katya Eadington and Brittany

Bowlus.

All but DiGiacomo’s goal came within 10-15 meters as the Sea

Kings, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division II, capitalized

when they spaced four players in a semicircle to set up for a shot.

“We told our girls that they can’t be afraid to shoot from the

outside,” CdM Coach Aaron Chaney said.

Newport (3-1), ranked No. 2 in CIF Division I, wasn’t quite as

opportunistic as Corona. The Sailors fired three more shots (21) than

the Sea Kings, but CdM sophomore goalie Brittany Fullen made seven

saves, including a point-blank stop after a Newport player swam all

alone up the right side of the pool. Fullen’s save kept Corona ahead,

6-3, in the fourth period before Newport began its comeback.

Facing an attacking opponent one-on-one doesn’t bother Fullen.

“Those are my favorite types of shots to block because they often

determine the outcome of the game,” Fullen said. “The adrenaline

starts pumping so much I don’t remember most of (my saves).”

Fullen, and the rest of Corona, felt Newport’s fourth-quarter

heat, quite a contrast from the brisk afternoon.

Down, 6-3, with 3:38 remaining, Newport’s Ashley Parole received a

pass at the six-meter mark and lobbed the ball to the right side of

the net. A little more than two minutes later, following a timeout

called by Newport Coach Bill Barnett, junior Carolyn Conway passed

out to Jessica Ball at the 10-meter mark and the junior driver rifled

the ball into the cage to get Newport within 6-5, with 2:25 to go.

Newport’s Jenna Murphy, a returning All-CIF Division I selection

who will play at UCLA, drew CdM’s second ejection of the fourth

quarter with 35 seconds left and Barnett called another timeout to

set up a play.

But a Sailor shot from 10 meters from the left side of the pool on

the ensuing possession sailed above the cage and Carlson continued to

apply defensive pressure to gain control of the ball and run out the

clock.

The Sea Kings raised their arms in the air and swam toward one

another to form a circle, congratulating one another after the

grueling match.

The Sailors, meanwhile, swam to the corner of the pool where

Barnett was sitting and gazed with blank stares toward the

celebration.

Newport senior Paige Lansing’s words of, “You can do it you guys,”

at the start of the fourth quarter brought the Sailors back, but not

enough to win.

“Our passing was atrocious and that’s why we lost,” Barnett said.

“For the most part, our defense was good but we couldn’t get the ball

to the girl in the right place.”

Sophomore Anne Belden, younger sister of Katherine and Peter

Belden, who are both playing water polo at UCLA, had four steals and

Murphy had two to lead Newport.

Corona made 13 steals to Newport’s 11, five by Carlson and three

by senior Stanford-bound star Christina Hewko. Hewko, the CIF

Division IV Player of the Year and Pacific Coast League MVP a year

ago, raised both her arms to block a shot headed toward the goal in

the third period.

“The key was our five-on-six defense,” Chaney said. “(Camille)

Hewko was tough at the two-meters.”

CdM had three ejections compared to Newport’s two and the Sailors

didn’t score on any of their player-advantages.

Newport had leads of 1-0 and 3-2 in the first half.

Senior Annie Wight scored the first of her two goals on a pass

from Raelyn Ritchie to stake Newport to a 1-0 lead. Ball’s first goal

tied it, 2-2, with 57 seconds left in the first half when she got a

ball in set and whipped a shot that hit the post, then dropped in

front of the goal. The current directed the ball just enough inside

the net to get a whistle from the referee signaling a goal. Wight

then took a Parole pass and tossed the ball to the goalie’s right to

give Newport a 23-second lead, 3-2, with 25 seconds to go in the

first half.

Just 32 seconds into the third quarter, DiGiacomo took a pass from

Carlson in set and fired the ball in net to give Corona a 4-3 lead,

and Eadington followed with a straightaway shot from 15 meters with

5:01 left in the third to make it 5-3 CdM.

Chaney came to California from Hawaii but he has quickly captured

the magnitude of the rivalry with Newport, a program he said has

“great tradition.”

“Newport has a winning tradition and Coach Barnett is one of the

best coaches there is,” Chaney said. “Heck he coached the (U.S.

men’s) national team. It’s quite an accomplishment to beat Newport.”

Barnett praised CdM’s effort.

“Corona played well, they’re a great team,” Barnett said.

Newport goalkeeper Terrin Cottam made three saves.

In the junior varsity game, Newport Harbor was a 9-5 winner.

In the frosh-soph game, Newport Harbor won, 8-2.

Nonleague

CdM 6, Newport Harbor 5

Score by Quarters

Newport 1 2 0

2 - 5

Corona del Mar 1 2 2

1 -- 6

Newport Harbor -- Ball 2, Wight 2, Parole 1. Saves --

Cottam 3.

CdM -- Carlson 1, Liao 1, Camille Hewko 1, Bowlus 1, DiGiacomo 1,

Eadington 1. Saves - Fullen 7.