Freshmen deliver as Newport Harbor girls’ water polo edges Laguna Beach in league opener

A talented trio of Newport Harbor girls’ water polo freshmen played in their first Surf League match on Tuesday afternoon.

Last summer, Gabby Alexson, Madison Mack and Valery Verdugo helped their Newport Beach Water Polo Club 14-and-under team take gold at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics. Stepping onto a high school varsity team is a different experience.

“It’s been really fun, and really challenging,” Alexson said. “We’ll learn a lot from the seniors, and it’s fun to experience a new season.”

The Sailors have lots of depth this year, and their fabulous freshmen certainly didn’t seem scared of the moment.

Alexson scored the eventual game-winning goal with 2:31 left in the match as Newport Harbor beat rival Laguna Beach 11-10 as both teams opened league play.

Newport Harbor’s Gabby Alexson (18) shoots a floater over the hands of the Laguna Beach goalkeeper for the game-winning goal on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

She took the entry pass from the wing from senior Ryan Chalupnik, beating a double team and lobbing the ball over charging Laguna Beach goalkeeper Siena Jumani.

“I think it was a big momentum swing for us, because we were tied and then we came up by one,” Alexson said. “We just knew we had to work on our defense from there.”

Chalupnik scored three goals for Newport Harbor (5-1), which entered the week tied for fourth in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 rankings with both Laguna Beach (2-3) and Mater Dei.

Sophomore Kylie Robison added two goals, an assist and two field blocks for Newport Harbor, which also got goals from sophomore Sophia Verdugo, junior Harper Price, Mack, junior Gigi Rimlinger and senior Ruby Witting. Valery Verdugo dished out two assists.

Ava Knepper (12) of Laguna Beach shoots over Newport Harbor’s Valery Verdugo (17) during Tuesday’s Surf League match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Junior goalkeeper Lydia Soderberg made eight saves for the Sailors. She’s a new defensive anchor after last year’s Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year, Anna Reed graduated and headed to USC.

“Defense is our bread and butter,” Soderberg said. “Any time she comes to our practices I’ll always watch her, will focus on what she’s doing. I want to be just like her, and I think I’m trying to step into her shoes right now.”

Newport Harbor never trailed in the second half. The Sailors got quick answers after Laguna Beach tied the score at 8-8 late in the third quarter — Sophia Verdugo netted a power-play goal with a second remaining in the quarter — and 10-10 in the fourth after Presley Jones scored.

Plenty of players with high cap numbers got into the game for Newport Harbor and coach Ross Sinclair, who was able to make a six-for-six substitution.

Newport Harbor’s Ryan Chalupnik (3) shoots and scores over Laguna’s Kara Carver (7) during Tuesday’s match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“I think our biggest strength is that we can essentially play everyone, trust everyone being able to play,” Sinclair said. “We’re just trying to find different combinations, who plays well with each other. I think that will be a huge asset for us, and I think this is the first game where everyone really bought into that. It’s an adjustment, it’s a sacrifice, but that’s what’s going to be needed.”

Laguna Beach has a first-year coach in former University of Hawaii assistant Katie Teets. She had a lengthy conversation with her team after the match, and said a main topic was playing for four quarters rather than relying on a strong second half.

Senior Ava Knepper scored a match-high four goals to lead the Breakers, who got three goals from Jones, two from junior Kara Carver and one from senior Claire Turner.

Emmy Hensley and Sophie Colladay, who are senior co-captains for Laguna this year, combined for three assists. Jumani, in a similar position to Soderberg as she is taking over for a four-year starting goalkeeper in graduate Lauren Schneider, made six saves.

Claire Turner (4) of Laguna Beach and Valery Verdugo (17) of Newport Harbor battle for the ball during Tuesday’s match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Teets was happy with her team’s fight, but knows the Breakers need to get defensive stops to sustain momentum.

“You want to ride the wave of scoring the goal, and instead you’re having to regroup in a different way,” she said. “It’s definitely a focus for us to be able to lock in, in those moments.”

Laguna Beach hosts Huntington Beach on Thursday, while Newport Harbor’s next game is Dec. 23 at home against rival Corona del Mar.