Girls water polo: Sailors edged by Capo

Tony Altobelli

MISSION VIEJO - A slow first half of offense and missed

opportunities were the difference for Newport Harbor High’s girls water

polo team in Saturday’s 7-6 loss to Capistrano Valley in the first round

of the CIF Southern Section Division I Playoffs.

“The bottom line was we didn’t convert any of our six-on-five

opportunities,” Coach Bill Barnett said. “Plus, I thought our shot

selection was poor at times.”

The Sailors (20-8) were 0 for 6 with the extra player and that’s

something, according to Barnett, that can’t happen for playoff success.

“Our team played real hard today,” Barnett said. “Capo just capitalized

on our mistakes better than we did on theirs.”

Senior Kyndra Cox scored three goals for Newport Harbor, last year’s

Division I champion, while sophomore Katherine Belden, junior Erin Kelly

Bates and senior Ali Taylor each added single tallies.

Capistrano Valley’s Amber Stachowski scored two of her four goals in the

first quarter, putting the Sailors in a hole early.

Newport finally got some offense going in the third quarter on goals by

Cox, Bates and Belden, tying the game, 3-3, after three quarters.

Cougar freshman Aimee Stachowski, who took over for her sister at the

two-meter spot, helped Capo Valley regain the lead early in the fourth

quarter.

The younger Stachowski drew a four-meter penalty shot, which her sister,

Amber, converted and followed that up with a goal of her own, giving the

Cougars a 5-3 lead with 5:12 remaining.

The Sailors cut the deficitd to one on three different occasions in the

final period with goals by Cox, Taylor and Cox again.

But Capo Valley’s Xina Gleason and Amber Stachowski scored in between the

Sailor tallies, keeping the lead on the side of the hosts.

With a minute remaining and Newport trailing, 7-6, freshman Jenna Murphy

fired off a shot that went off the top of the crossbar, nearly tying the

score.

After a Cougars’ turnover, Cox’s lob shot with 20 seconds remaining was

saved by Capo’s Meridith McColl, ending the Sailors’ final offensive

chance.

Sailors’ goalie Heather Deyden came up with five saves, while McColl had

12 for Capo Valley.

Reflecting on this year’s performance, Barnett had mixed feelings.

“It was a very up and down season,” Barnett said. “We started well, but

we didn’t improve as the season went along. I’m not sure why, but we’ll

definitely need to do that next year.”CIF DIVISION I PLAYOFFS

First round

Capistrano Valley 7, Newport Harbor 6

Newport Harbor 0 0 3 3 - 6

Capistrano Valley 2 0 1 4 - 7

Newport Harbor - Cox 3, Belden 1, Taylor 1, Bates 1. Saves - Deyden 5.

Capistrano Valley - Amber Stachowski 4, Gleason 2, Aimee Stachowski 1.

Saves - McColl 12.