Boys water polo: Sailors step up to challenge

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - This is what the Newport Harbor High boys water

polo team had been waiting for -- a challenge and a chance for

redemption.

The Sailors fulfilled their desires with an effective defensive

performance that led to a 6-4 nonleague victory Tuesday over Villa Park,

the top-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division I.

Harbor (14-4), ranked No. 2 in CIF Division I, lost to Villa Park

(17-3) at the South Coast Tournament earlier in the season at Newport

Harbor. Harbor was seeking revenge.

“We’ve been preparing for this game all week,” said Harbor senior

Peter Belden, who scored two goals. “We looked at films from when we

played them last time and we played horrible defense. We knew we had to

play better.”

The Sailors lost to the Spartans, 8-5, and Harbor also lost to Back

Bay rival Corona del Mar, 12-11, in the S&R; Tournament -- two of the

biggest matches of the season thus far. Harbor Coach Brian Kreutzkamp now

wanted his team to prove its mettle and play better defense.

“We’ve been up and down all year,” Kreutzkamp said. “We started out

No. 1, but we took a nose dive. But now we’re clicking. Defense, that’s

been our focus.”

The Sailors’ defense was shown from the start as the Spartans didn’t

score until two minutes into the second quarter. Harbor’s senior goalie

Brandon McLain finished with seven saves and continually shut down Villa

Park’s scoring chances.

“Holding the No. 1 team to four goals is pretty impressive,”

Kreutzcamp said. “Our goalie ... he would be the game’s MVP.”

Harbor scored its first two goals off the first two opening sprints.

In the first quarter, Belden scored when he won the sprint, passed the

ball and set up on the left wing where he scored 24 seconds into the

game.

In the second quarter, Ryan Cook scored after Belden again won the

sprint.

But, the Spartans came back to tie the game, scoring two goals in

three minutes. Villa Park’s first goal came from a counterattack. And

then, T.J. Matijevich stole the ball from McLain after a save, and

Matijevich quickly threw it into the net.

Joey Snelgrove, who finished with two goals, scored for the Sailors

with 24 seconds remaining in the half as Harbor took advantage of the

man-up situation after failing twice before in the half.

“We knew we were better than (Villa Park),” Belden said. “This is

where we should be.”

The visitors never led, though they pulled even at 2-2. Harbor (14-4)

increased the lead to 4-2 when Belden scored on a penalty shot.

The Sailors held a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The

teams traded goals in a 51-second span of that final quarter. Snelgrove’s

second goal came from eight meters out with 3:44 remaining. And later,

Matijevich scored just as the Spartans’ man-up situation ended.

Sailors senior Greg Worthing scored with 1:25 remaining to basically

put the game out of reach. He connected when Kyle Bean’s shot deflected

off goalie Jared Jones. Jones, whom Kreutzkamp called the best goalie in

CIF Division I, finished with eight saves.

Worthing’s goal came on a six-on-five after Belden drew Villa Park’s

Charlie Fisher into a foul and Fisher was ejected.

“It was nice getting him (ejected),” Belden said of Fisher’s exit.

Villa Park Coach John Carcich said Fisher’s penalty was one of many

costly mistakes.

“We have to be able to learn from our mistakes,” said Carcich, who

also noted the Sailors hadn’t changed since the South Coast Tournament.

“Same team. Same guys. They ran a slightly different offense, but we’ll

be ready for that the next time we see them.”

Villa Park and Harbor might face one another again soon. Both will

play in the Nor-Cal Tournament, Oct. 27-28, which will also include CdM.

Kreutzkamp is not thinking about the Nor-Cal Tournament just yet. The

Sailors still have to play No. 4 CIF Division I Foothill Friday.

In junior varsity play, the Sailors handled Villa Park, 15-6, led by

Michael Vanderburg’s five goals, as well as four from Nathan Weiner and

three by Ryan Bean.

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor 6, Villa Park 4

Villa Park 0 2 1 1 - 4

Newport Harbor 1 2 1 2 - 6

Newport Harbor - Belden 2, Worthing 2, Cook 1, Snelgrove 1. Saves -

McLain 7.

Villa Park - Fisher 2, Matijevich 2. Saves - Jones 8.