Boys water polo: FINALLY!

Tony Altobelli and Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - Gray Lunde would have loved this one big time.

Playing in the finals of the Gray Lunde Memorial Tournament, the

Newport Harbor High boys frosh-soph water polo team needed nearly 14

minutes of sudden-death overtime before finally winning the championship,

7-6, over visiting Laguna Beach Saturday afternoon.

“I just kept telling the kids that we were going to find a way to get

it done,” Sailors Coach Les Cutler said. “In all my years working here

and assisting with Newport Harbor, this is by far the proudest moment

I’ve ever had here.”

Michael Vanderburg’s goal with 1:08 remaining in the fifth

three-minute overtime period ended the marathon match. His goal came on a

6-on-5 advantage, Newport’s sixth man advantage in the overtime periods.

Vanderburg scored off a pass from Brent Armstrong on a designed play.

“When we’re up a man, we set up our offense to the outside,” Cutler said.

“We found Michael near the top of the arc and we were finally able to

cash in on a man advantage.”

The scoring drought came after a fairly consistent scoring output from

both schools.

“Laguna Beach scored first on a 6-on-5 when Chris Stansbury found the

back of the net.

Vanderburg scored two first-quarter goals, but Harbor trailed after

the first quarter, 3-2.

The Sailors dominated the second quarter as Stephen Lugo scored once

and Nathan Weiner scored twice, giving Newport a 5-3 halftime advantage.

After the Artists tied the game, Weiner assisted on Charlie

Hockenbury’s third-quarter goal, giving Newport a 6-5 advantage.

But Laguna Beach’s Nick McConnell scored his third goal of the game

with 2:51 remaining, sending the game into overtime.

Each team had numerous opportunities to win the championship, but none

proved successful.

“With frosh-soph players, sometimes you get tentative in overtime so

you don’t shot when you should,” Cutler said. “Or, you shoot too quickly

and not set up. Perhaps some nerves got the better of some players in the

overtimes.”

As each overtime session came and went, the fatigue started to mount

on both clubs.

“I had the feeling that this was going to come down to either a fluke

play or a mistake,” Cutler said. “Both teams were so evenly matched. I

was proud of how our guys hung in there and kept up the pressure.”

Artists’ goalie Hugh Sandys came up with 14 saves in the contest,

including two point-blank denials in the fourth overtime.

Sailors’ goalie Nathan McLain had five saves in the match and also

came up big in the extra sessions.

“This game was not only a tribute our program, but a tribute to Laguna

Beach and its program,” Cutler said. “It was too solid teams going at it

out there. I know these players never had the opportunity to know Gray,

but he’s still a part of me. That’s why this tournament means so much to

me.”

Cutler told his team before its semifinal game about the meaning of

the Gray Lunde Tournament. The Sailors responded with a controlling

defensive effort that led to a 12-2 victory over Villa Park Saturday

morning.

“He represented something that’s very positive: hard work,” said

Cutler of what he told his boys.

Cutler said seven junior varsity players were transferred to the

frosh/soph so the Sailors would have a better chance to win their own

tournament. Nine of the team’s 12 goals came from the Harbor junior

varsity players.

Weiner finished with three scores, while Brent Armstrong and

Vanderburg threw in two apiece. Ryan Bean and Ross Sinclair scored one

goal. Clark Brook added two goals for the Sailors, while Eric Ferre had

one.

Harbor’s defense led to its scoring on counterattacks.

“We get to practice with the varsity,” Vanderburg said. “That’s why

we’re playing so good. And we’re winning because we’re playing as a team.

Playing without four of its starters, the Corona del Mar frosh/soph

boys water polo team gave up three goals in the fourth quarter and lost

its first game of the season falling to Laguna Beach, 4-2, in the

semifinals of the Gray Lunde Tournament.

CdM had two of its starters with the varsity playing in the tournament

up north and two other starters didn’t play because of personal reasons.

The Sea Kings are 17-1 after losing in a game that featured rain, a

Laguna Beach ejection and non-stop action.

CdM managed to get two goals past Hugh Sandys, who finished with a

game-high 13 saves.

Ryan Moore scored first for the Sea Kings less than two minutes into

the match. And John Money scored from long distance with two minutes

remaining in the half.

The Sea Kings gave up three goals in the final quarter. With three

minutes remaining Chris Stansburry scored for the Artists on a man-up.

Then Andrew Cooper scored on the counterattack as he went one-on-one with

Tyler Brundage. And Stansburry scored again with 36 seconds remaining.

The Sea Kings rebounded with a 7-2 win over Villa Park in the

third-place game. John Money had four goals to pace the Sea Kings’

attack, while Travis Pirdy, Daniel Niehenke and Nadim Hakim each added

single goals.

CdM goalie Tyler Burndage had eight saves as the Sea Kings jumped out

to a 4-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back.

Gray Lunde Frosh/Soph Water Polo Tournament

SEMIFINALS

Newport Habor 12, Villa Park 2 Villa Park 0 1 1 0 - 2

Newport Harbor 2 3 2 5 - 12

Newport Harbor - Weiner 3, Armstrong 2, Brooks 2, Vanderburg 2,

Sinclair 1, Bean 1, Ferre 1.

Villa Park - Matijevich 2.

Saves - Stabler (NH), 3; McLain (NH), 6.

SEMIFINALS

Laguna Beach 4, Corona del Mar 2

Corona del Mar 1 1 0 0 - 2

Laguna Beach 1 0 0 3 - 4

Corona del Mar - Moore 1, Money 1.

Laguna Beach - Stansburry 2, Cooper 1, Cole 1.

Saves - Sandys (LB), 13.

THIRD PLACE

Corona del Mar 7, Villa Park 2

Villa Park 0 1 0 1 - 2

Corona del Mar 4 1 2 0 - 7

Corona del Mar - Money 4, Pirdy 1, Niehenke 1, Hakim 1. Saves -

Brundage (CdM) 8.

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Newport Harbor 7, Laguna Beach 6 (5 OT)

Laguna Beach 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 6

Newport Harbor 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 7

Laguna Beach - McConnell 3, Stansbury 2, Able 1. Saves - Sandys (LB)

14.

Newport Harbor - Vanderburg 3, Weiner 2, Lugo 1, Hockenbury 1. Saves -

McLain (NH) 5.