Irvine Shuts Down Sailors in Sea View League Opener

Irvine’s defense put the clamps on Newport Harbor, the second-ranked team in Orange County, and the Vaqueros won a key Sea View League opener in girls’ water polo, 4-2, Wednesday at Newport Harbor.

With the score tied, 2-2, in the fourth quarter, Irvine’s Emi Umezawa won a scramble for a loose ball in front of the Newport Harbor goal and scored with 4 minutes 4 seconds remaining.

Teammate Kristi Riedel scored her second goal 41 seconds later for a 4-2 lead and Irvine (8-1, 1-0 in league), ranked fifth in the county, sealed the victory with its defense.

“To hold a team like Newport, with that kind of talent, to only two goals is amazing,” Irvine Coach Scott Hinman said.

Irvine goalie Kelly Graff, who had eight saves, anchored a unit that held Newport Harbor scoreless for the final three quarters.

Newport Harbor (11-3, 0-1), the defending league champion, took 18 shots in the final three quarters, but only one of those came from inside four meters.

With Irvine constantly collapsing on Newport Harbor two-meter standout Kyndra Cox, the Sailors couldn’t get anything past Graff from the perimeter.

Goals by Cox and Katherine Belden--both from close range--gave Newport Harbor a 2-1 lead in the first quarter. But Irvine freshman Sarah Hamilton scored in the second quarter to tie it, 2-2.

Newport Harbor goalie Heather Deyden kept the score tied when she stopped a four-meter penalty shot by Nicole Lorrimer in the third quarter. But the Sailors couldn’t get anything going.

Newport Harbor did not get a shot on its one six-on-five opportunity in the first half. Its last six-on-five, with 2:25 remaining, resulted in a rushed shot by Cox from seven meters that Graff stopped easily.