Key absence sends Tars’ hopes under against Laguna

Cottam’s ejection sparks Laguna Beach rally in a nonleague match. Kaplan scores five of seven goals down the stretch.LAGUNA BEACH -- Disappointing. Terribly disappointing.

Those were the words Newport Harbor Coach Jason Lynch used to describe his team’s effort in a 13-11 nonleague loss at Laguna Beach. The Sailors, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I, were upset by tenth-ranked Laguna Beach.

With 3:10 remaining in the third period, Telford Cottam was ejected for the match for a brutality penalty. The Sailors, leading 8-5 at the time, played short-handed the remainder of the match.

Laguna Beach took advantage of Cottam’s absence, and scored eight goals in the final 10 minutes of the match. The Breakers took the lead with six and a half minutes remaining in the match.

Newport Harbor (14-3) attempted to rally in the fourth quarter, as Clay Jorth scored three goals in the final period. His second score, with 3:43 remaining, brought the Sailors within one goal, 11-10.

Laguna Beach’s Peter Phelps responded, scoring twice to extend the lead back out to three. Phelps put the finishing touch on the loss with a clinching steal in the final seconds of the match.

It was a much different story for the Sailors early, as they took a 5-2 lead in the first quarter. Brett Auer scored two goals, and Carson Hill, Kyle Sherman and Cottam also scored in the first period.

Brett Auer scored his first goal on a fast break. With the Breakers’ goalkeeper charging, Auer used finesse, tossing the ball over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms to the far corner of the net.

Later in the period, Carson Hill found Auer in front of the goal to set up a backward flicked shot from in front of the net to give the Tars a 3-2 lead.

Newport Harbor scored twice more in the period, on assists by Clay Jorth to Sherman and Cottam.

Laguna struck first in the second quarter, as Mike Dick scored twice in the first two minutes. Cottam scored the Sailors’ lone goal from the left side with 12 seconds remaining in the half, giving the visitors a 6-4 lead.

Dick found Pierre Masson for the opening goal of the half with 5:56 remaining.

Sherman found Cottam on a cross-pool pass for a Sailors goal. Cottam then found Auer to give Newport Harbor an 8-5 lead with 4:37 remaining in the period before his ejection.

Laguna Beach’s Adam Kaplan took advantage, scoring five of his seven goals after Cottam’s departure. His second, scoring with four seconds left in the third quarter, pulled the Breakers to 8-7.

Kaplan continued on his tear, scoring the go-ahead goal with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Laguna Beach clearly took advantage of the short-handed Sailors, firing off 16 shots after the ejection.

Goalkeeper Bryce McLain made 13 saves for the Tars, despite having a man disadvantage for one-and-a-half quarters.

“We missed some easy shots early in the match. I feel like we really could have put them away in the first half, but we didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.” Lynch said. “After the ejection, we lost the momentum, and it wouldn’t have happened if we came out fired up early.”

Newport Harbor, now 14-3, will play Saturday at perennial powerhouse Bishops in La Jolla.

Nonleague

Laguna Beach 13,

Newport Harbor 11

Score by Quarters