Sailors take on Breakers
Girls’ Water Polo
CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal
No. 2 Newport Harbor (25-4) vs. No. 3 Laguna Beach (23-6)
When/where: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine
Key Sailors: Sr. defender Maddy McLaren (team-high 67 goals, 20 assists, 28 steals); Jr. attacker Carly Christian (56 goals, team-high 31 assists, 43 steals); Jr. center Elissia Schilling (28 goals, 30 steals); Jr. defender Avery Peterson (39 goals, team-high 48 steals); Sr. attacker Presley Pender (40 goals, 29 steals); Jr. goalie Cleo Harrington (281 saves).
Key Breakers: Sr. attacker Yoshi Andersen (team-high 104 goals, team-high 46 assists, team-high 51 steals); Sr. defender Melena Masson (48 goals, 36 assists, 50 steals); Fr. center Makenzie Fischer (87 goals, 44 assists, 39 steals); Jr. attacker Lexie del Toro (51 goals, 36 assists, 39 steals); Soph. goalie Jenna Knott (195 saves).
Breakdown: Newport Harbor is 3-0 this season against Laguna Beach ... The Sailors won the first two meetings in sudden-death OT, in a Santa Barbara TOC quarterfinal Jan. 13, as well as a nonleague game Jan. 27 ... Schilling scored the game-winner from two meters in both games ... Newport Harbor also topped Laguna, 7-4, in an Irvine Southern California Championships semifinal Feb. 4 ... The Breakers did knock off the Sailors last year in the Division 1 quarterfinals ... Newport Harbor has won 14 straight matches ... The Sailors are trying to win their fifth Division 1 girls’ water polo title this year, and first since 2008. Foothill leads all programs with six.
— Matt Szabo