Strong sequel start

Bryce Alderton

The secret, at least to the start, of Newport Harbor High’s defense

of its girls water polo CIF Southern Section Division I championship

rested with none other than its offense in Tuesday’s nonleague clash

against visiting Esperanza.

The Sailors scored early and often -- 12 times in the first half

-- en route to a 15-1 triumph in their season opener.

Seniors Anne Belden, who has already committed to UCLA, Ashling

Taylor and Melissa Wheeler each scored four goals for the Tars, whose

counterattack proved too much for Esperanza (4-3) to handle.

Newport raced to a 5-0 lead after one quarter and added seven in

the second, building a 12-0 cushion before Esperanza senior Jenny

Bagley found the back of the cage with 5 minutes, 6 seconds left in

the third period.

By that time, the Sailors’ Coach Bill Barnett had begun inserting

his reserves with a comfortable lead.

The Sailors controlled the first 14 minutes with their defense,

too.

Newport outshot the Aztecs, 20-2, in the first half while turning

several of their nine steals into counterattacks and subsequent

scoring chances.

“Our passing was good and, already, our chemistry was better than

last year at this time,” said Belden, part of last season’s squad

that went 27-3 and defeated Foothill, 10-8, in the Division I

championship game. “[Tuesday] we worked together well.”

Belden was both on the receiving and passing ends of Sailor goals.

The left-hander added two assists, including a pass into Wheeler, who

whipped a shot into the cage for her second goal from two meters and

a 9-0 Sailor lead with 3:57 left in the first half.

Junior Leah Robertson scored twice while junior Kally Lucas

tallied three assists -- two to Robertson -- in the second half.

Lucas, who scored one goal, and Belden each tallied three steals

while Jessie Womble added two as the Sailor defense adjusted to

Esperanza’s unconventional offensive set.

The Aztecs often shifted four players to one side of the pool with

no one in set while the remaining two ran picks on the opposite end.

“[The formation] threw us off a bit, but then we started

anticipating a bad pass,” Belden said.

Newport’s Elizabeth Layton and Kendal Nelson split time in goal

and made four and three saves, respectively,

Esperanza goalkeeper Shiela Chinichian stopped 13 shots.

“We hit [Chinichian] a few times,” Barnett said. “No [Sailor]

stood out, but they all played hard and well. It was a ‘B’

performance.”

*--*

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 15, Esperanza 1

Score by Quarters

Esperanza 0 0 1 0 -- 1

Newport 5 7 2 1 - 15

Esperanza -- Bagley 1. Saves -- Chinichian 13.

Newport -- Belden 4, Taylor 4, Wheeler 4, Lucas

1, Robertson 2. Saves -- Layton 4, Nelson 3.

*--*