Division I Water Polo Final Expected to Be Tight Game

Nothing is certain in high school sports, but you could probably get pretty good odds that tonight’s Southern Section Division I girls water polo final between Newport Harbor and Irvine will be decided by one goal.

Of the 14 games played so far in the division playoffs, five have been decided by a single goal. The Sailors and Vaqueros, who play at 8:15 at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, both advanced to the final with 7-6 semifinal victories.

“It should be a great game,” Newport Harbor Coach Bill Barnett said. “We match up pretty evenly.”

Newport Harbor (22-6) is seeded No. 2 in the playoffs and finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the Orange Coaches Poll. Fourth-seeded Irvine (24-4) was fifth in the final coaches poll.

Kyndra Cox and Jocelyn Manderino led the Sailors through the regular season with 56 goals each, but Cox has been the big gun in the playoffs with 15 goals in victories over Fountain Valley, San Clemente and Villa Park.

Irvine, which defeated Dana Hills, Long Beach Wilson and top-seeded Capistrano Valley to reach the final, is led by the 1-2 scoring punch of Nicole Huszcz (58 goals) and Erin Lezak (52).

But team defense is the Vaqueros’ strength. Four players have 30 or more steals, led by Huszcz with 63. Goalie Kelly Graff, who averages 14 saves a game, is one of the county’s best.

The Division IV girls’ water polo final between top-seeded Rosary and third-seeded University is a rematch of last year’s Division III final, won by Rosary, 7-4.

The game, originally scheduled for 2:15 at Belmont Plaza Pool, has been moved to 4 p.m.

The teams have taken different paths to the final. Rosary, heavily favored to win the division all season, has cruised. The Royals (21-4) have defeated Sunny Hills, Laguna Beach and Palos Verdes Peninsula by an average score of 12-4.

University has squeaked into the final with a 4-3 victory over El Dorado in the quarterfinals and a 8-7 triple overtime victory over No. 2-seeded Santa Monica in the semifinals.