Sailors Pull Together to Win Title

Bill Barnett clutched the plaque like a novice--like someone who had not been there before.

The coach of the Newport Harbor girls’ water polo team, dripping wet courtesy of a team shove into the pool following the Sailors’ 9-5 victory over Irvine in the Southern Section Division I final Tuesday night at Belmont Plaza Pool, greeted all well-wishers with a vigorous handshake and a gleaming white grin.

But Barnett, who has coached more than 30 years, has been there before. He guided Newport Harbor boys’ teams to 10 section titles, the last in 1984.

“This means a lot,” said Barnett, who coached the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic teams. “It means just as much as any boys’ title, just as much as the Olympics. It’s great to be here and it’s great to win.”

The Sailors (23-6) have preached a team-first attitude all season, and that’s what got them the victory over Irvine (24-5).

Five players scored for Newport Harbor, including senior Jocelyn Manderino, who had four goals. Katherine Belden chipped in with a solid defensive effort, accounting for five of the Sailors’ 15 steals.

“Our philosophy is that we want to have as much balance as possible,” Barnett said. “That way it’s tough for a team to key in on someone. This is one of the best groups I’ve ever had as far as playing together as a team. It’s been a real pleasure working with them.”

Newport Harbor took a 7-3 lead when Katherine Gregg blasted a shot off Irvine goalie Kelly Graff’s fingertips with 4:29 left to play. The Vaqueros climbed to within three, 8-5, with two man-advantage goals, but ran out of time.

However, the Vaqueros’ inability to capitalize on earlier six-on-five situations hurt them. Irvine was three of nine on such opportunities.

“It came down to our shooting on six-on-fives,” Irvine Coach Scott Hinman said. “If we would’ve scored man-up we’d have been in the game.”

Irvine struck first when Erin Lezak scored the first of her three goals on a fadeaway bloop shot from 15 feet out early in the first quarter, but Belden answered right back and Manderino scored twice from outside in the last two minutes of the first quarter.

Newport Harbor goalie Erin Kennedy had nine saves, including a two-handed stuff on a Lezak blast in the third quarter and a fingertip stop of Lezak on an open counterattack opportunity.