Newport, CdM are platinum
MISSION VIEJO — The way that Newport Water Polo Foundation 18-and-under girls Coach Brian Melstrom sees it, the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics is best taken one game at a time.
It’s a cliché, sure, but it’s also reality at the biggest water polo tournament in the world.
“It’s a long journey,” Melstrom said. “This is a tournament of small goals.”
Melstrom saw his players accomplish his first goal Thursday. They won two out of three games on the opening day of Session Two to make the platinum bracket (top 24 in the nation).
Newport defeated Santa Clara Swim Club on Thursday morning at Saddleback College, 9-5. The team then lost to No. 2-seeded San Diego Shores, 19-2, at Santa Ana Valley High, but rebounded for a 15-2 win over Pittsburgh Water Polo Club at Capistrano Valley High to make the platinum bracket.
CdM Aquatics’ 18-and-under girls also went platinum by following a similar path in three games at San Juan Hills High. They beat C Cal Water Polo, 11-4, before losing to No. 6-seeded Commerce Aquatics, 11-4. But CdM then topped Davis, 8-3, to stamp its ticket to the platinum bracket as well.
Each local club, made up of Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high school players respectively, moves into a three-team pool in the platinum bracket. Newport will play No. 15-seeded Foothill Red at 11 a.m. Friday at Irvine’s Woollett Aquatics Center, followed by a game against NIPC at 2 p.m. CdM plays No. 14-seeded Stanford A at 9 a.m. Friday at UC Irvine, followed by a game against Rose Bowl Black (B) at 4 p.m.
“The second goal is to win one out of two [Friday],” Melstrom said, though another game would happen Friday night if either team wins both its games, which appears possible. The ultimate goal that Melstrom has for the team is a top 16 finish.
Newport is certainly a young team, as it returns just one starter in incoming senior Katie Kearns. Gone is Newport-Mesa Player of the Year Carlee Kapana, bound for UCLA, in goal. She was one of six Division 1-bound players who graduated for the Sailors.
On Thursday, incoming senior Maddy Kanzler and junior Chloe Schilling split time in the cage. They impressed, each making eight saves against Pittsburgh.
“It’s intimidating coming under [Kapana and 2013 co-Newport Mesa Player of the Year and goalie Cleo Harrington, who now plays at Harvard],” Kanzler said. “Everyone expects so much. Me and Chloe, we’ve got to step up, I guess … We’re not Carlee and Cleo, so [as a team] we have to work harder on getting back, shot blocking, making sure our defense is strong enough. We’re good at helping back at two meters.”
Newport started slow against Pittsburgh but certainly got it going. Speedy incoming junior Lissa Westerman, a transfer from CdM, scored all of her game-high six goals in the second half. She also had two steals and drew two exclusions and a penalty shot.
Kearns had four goals and two steals, while incoming senior Sammie Garcia had a well-rounded game with two goals, two assists and two steals. Centers Josie Miller and Claire Tafoya each had one goal, while incoming sophomore Kaela Whelan impressed with a goal and three assists.
Newport went six for nine in power play opportunities, while holding Pittsburgh to one for nine. Now Newport has another opportunity Friday, to compete in the platinum bracket.
“It’s really nice to get into platinum, because we are a high school team and we’re really young,” Kearns said. “We lost so many players, so I think a lot of people thought we wouldn’t do as well. It makes us feel better and boosts our confidence. We know we’re not going to do amazing, but I mean, it’s really good experience getting to play in the platinum division and playing against the best clubs.”
Melstrom said Kearns and incoming junior Quincy Morgan led the charge against Santa Clara in the important opening win.
CdM, meanwhile, also had an impressive Thursday. It hung tough against Commerce, as CdM Coach Kevin Ricks said his team was down by just three goals headed into the fourth quarter.
The final game of the day, against Davis, was a physical affair. But CdM blanked Davis in the first half, taking a 4-0 lead, and Davis did not get within three goals the rest of the way.
CdM junior defender Jaleh Moaddeli led the way with three goals and seven steals against Davis. One of the goals was impressive, as she stole the ball back after being called for a “ball under” call. The Davis player tried to throw it back to the goalie, but the crafty Moaddeli was there to make the steal and quickly shoot it into the cage.
“I used to do that so much in 10-and-unders,” Moaddeli said with a smile after the game. “That was like the thing that I used to do all the time. That was my signature thing, and it never happens anymore, so for that to happen in one of these games was kind of fun.”
Incoming senior goalie Heidi Ritner made 11 saves, including one on a penalty shot, against Davis. Senior center Bridgett Storm had two goals and a big field block to kill off a power play, while junior Sarah Lawson impressed with two goals and two assists.
Incoming sophomore Chloe Harbilas had a goal and a steal, while Emily Ritner had a field block and Abigail Klein added an assist.
Two incoming freshmen, center Layne Anzaldo and Sophie Wallace, each also got time. Ricks said that Anzaldo and Wallace are primarily playing with CdM’s 14-and-under team, which won twice Thursday to also advance to the platinum bracket.
CdM also lost several big pieces from last year, but appears to be meshing well after making the California High School State Championships title game two weekends ago without Heidi Ritner in goal. Incoming sophomore Erin Tharp played well in goal for CdM in that tournament.
“This year, we’re playing really well as a team,” Moaddeli said. “The chemistry is really good with us. I think that gives us a lot of power in our play … I think this team can pull together and surprise some people, win some big games that we weren’t supposed to win.”
