No advantage in Newport setback

IRVINE — Jason Lynch spoke about the season and the excitement for next year, that’s what a coach does when his team plays its last game.

With only three seniors with considerable playing time graduating, Lynch, the Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo coach, expects to have an elite team next year. If the returners take on the persona of their coach, they should be fine.

After losing, 8-6, to Northwood in a semifinal of the CIF Masters Tournament, Lynch went down swinging.

“I thought we outplayed the heck out of them,” he said Saturday at Irvine High. “We drew 11 exclusions and scored only three. We had several other counterattack opportunities where they had nice field blocks. We just failed to capitalize on those two areas, but particularly the six-on-five.”

The Sailors (25-7) were actually two for 11 on the man advantage, scoring a goal just after the teams were even, early in the fourth quarter. That’s when Blake Hockenbury made good on a Clinton Jorth assist 54 seconds into the fourth and Newport trailed, 6-5.

However, Northwood (31-5) answered with two goals in a 44-second span. Hockenbury scored again with 3:17 left, but the Timberwolves secured the win with another stop on a Newport power play.

Northwood went on to win the inaugural Masters Tournament after defeating CIF Division I champion El Toro, 11-7.

“I don’t know how to respond to that,” Northwood Coach Steve Carrera said after being told of Lynch’s comments. “We won the game. I don’t think we got outplayed. Newport didn’t capitalize on [it’s] six-on-five and we capitalized on our opportunities.”

Northwood was two for three on the man advantage. Northwood junior Jonathan Colton, who scored a game-high five goals, said the Timberwolves took pride in their six-on-five defense. He also said it made the difference in the game. Lynch concurred.

“We struggled with that all season,” Lynch said. “I have to take responsibility for that … Despite the six-on-five we were still in the game. We played very hard. We played very good defense. I thought we outplayed them but we have to be able to score.”

Newport, which had never played Northwood this season, never led.

The Sailors’ Brandon Parole scored two goals.

CIF Masters Tournament

Semifinal

Northwood 8, Newport Harbor 6

Score by Quarters

Northwood 2 2 2 2 — 8 Newport 2 1 1 2 — 6

Northwood -- Colton 5, Hamilton 1, K. Kim 1, Noll 1. Saves -- J. Hartshorne 10.

Newport -- Parole 2, Hockenbury 2, McKibbin 1, Jorth 1. Saves -- McLain 3.