Newport earns payback

IRVINE — What better way for the Newport Harbor High girls’ water polo team to celebrate a big tournament win than with a dance?

Members of the team rushed off the pool deck after Saturday’s 3-2, overtime win over Back Bay rival Corona del Mar in the Irvine Southern California Championships title game. The Newport Harbor winter formal at Knott’s Berry Farm was just hours away, and there was hair to be done and makeup to apply.

But the Sailors (23-3) left Irvine High with a beautiful effort, too. Defeating the Sea Kings (20-6) and snapping their 15-game winning streak in the final avenged a loss to CdM in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions title game on Jan. 12, a game where the Sailors let a 5-2 halftime lead slip away.

“In Santa Barbara, they felt they should have won the game,” Newport Harbor Coach Bill Barnett said. “We let it get out of our control. I felt that they got mad at themselves for that.”

In semifinal action earlier Saturday, the Tars got redemption for another early loss at the Holiday Cup by beating Dos Pueblos of Goleta, 7-4. Corona del Mar advanced to the final by topping Long Beach Wilson, 4-2.

“It happened to be that all the teams we’ve lost to [Dos Pueblos, CdM and Long Beach Wilson] were all in the top three,” said Sailors senior Mimi Bury, named to the all-tournament team with seniors Morgan Vickers and Jessica Robinson. “We knew we would be able to redeem ourselves for at least two of the games. We were very excited, and I think we played excellent defense.”

Newport Harbor also won the Irvine Southern California Championships title for the first time in the tournament’s 13-year history. But there was another aspect besides redemption or history.

The Sailors, who were ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, will likely regain the top spot from CdM when the Division I playoff seedings are announced.

“It feels really good, especially when it was important for CIF,” said Vickers, who made six saves in the championship game.

Tars junior Nicolina McCall scored the game-winner against Corona del Mar in the first three-minute overtime period, on a quick pass from sophomore Kaleigh Gilchrist with 1:23 left in the period.

“Gilchrist is a great reader,” Barnett said. “She finds the open girl, that’s one of her strong points.”

McCall also scored the game’s first goal, from five meters with 2:37 left in the first quarter.

CdM, meanwhile, had to constantly dump the ball in the first half largely due to tough set defense from Sailors seniors Elizabeth Wheeler and Amanda Simons and sophomore Kate Klippert.

“Newport has the heavy press, and we just didn’t move enough,” CdM Coach Aaron Chaney said. “We just need to move more. We were not without opportunities.”

But the Sea Kings struck just before halftime.

Carissa Dice passed to fellow senior Allison Peotter, who scored from five meters with just four seconds remaining in the half. Peotter was also named to the all-tournament team along with junior Heather Van Hiel, who earned the recognition for the second straight year.

Kate Baldoni (10 saves in the championship) was named co-Most Outstanding Goalie of the tournament, along with Dos Pueblos’ Sami Hill.

Klippert scored on the first possession of the second half, but CdM sophomore Margot Money responded with a shot from eight meters with the shot clock winding down and 2:43 left in the quarter.

Neither team scored again until McCall’s game-winner.

In the semifinals, Newport Harbor was also pumped in their rematch against Dos Pueblos.

“We were really disappointed that we lost to them in the first place,” said senior Erin Reid, who had two goals and a steal in the rematch. “And we didn’t get to play them at Santa Barbara, so we were really pumped up for this game. We all really wanted to win and we followed through.”

Saturday, Newport Harbor jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a quarter. Dos Pueblos rallied to tie the score at 4-4 late in the third, when senior Angelia Bottiani connected a straightaway shot from seven meters out. The Sailors answered strongly, as Gilchrist scored from five meters with just two seconds left in the quarter.

Newport Harbor added a backhanded goal from Bury at two meters, and a goal by McCall from set gave the Sailors their seventh goal with 5:24 remaining in the game.

Klippert then had back-to-back steals on two subsequent Chargers possessions to help secure the victory.

Corona del Mar never trailed in its semifinal against Long Beach Wilson, but the score was tied, 2-2, entering the fourth quarter. Leslee Kaczmarek then scored cross-cage from five meters, lifting the Sea Kings to a 3-2 lead with 5:09 left.

CdM scored a six-on-five when Dice passed in front to junior Elise Molnar, who scored from set with 4:21 remaining.

The goal was the Sea Kings’ first in six power-play opportunities.

“We were getting so frustrated, but we knew we had to put it away,” Dice said. “We just have to do that every time [on the six-on-five]. It felt really good to make one of our six-on-fives, because Chaney was getting a little aggravated.”

At the end of the day, the Sailors came out on top.

“Success is sweetest when you do lose before, then come back and win,” Bury said. “We knew we could do it, and we really wanted to show everyone else that we could do it, too.”

Irvine Southern California

Championships

Championship game

Newport Harbor 3, Corona del Mar 2 (OT)

SCORE BY PERIODS

NH – McCall 2, Klippert 1. Saves – Vickers 6.

CdM – Peotter 1, Money 1. Saves – Baldoni 10.

Semifinal

Newport Harbor 7, Dos Pueblos 4

SCORE BY QUARTERS

DP – Neushul 1, Armstrong 1, A. Hill 1, Bottiani 1. Saves – S. Hill 9.

NH – Reid 2, Gilchrist 2, Bury 1, McCall 1, Robinson 1. Saves – Vickers 6.

Semifinal

Corona del Mar 4,

Long Beach Wilson 2

SCORE BY QUARTERS

LBW – Artukovich 2. Saves – Hardy 5.

CdM – Molnar 2, Peotter 1, Kaczmarek 1. Saves – Baldoni 11.

MATT SZABO is a staff writer. He can be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.