Steve Virgen
CORONA DEL MAR - A 9-5 victory over a college club team hardly
pleased Newport Harbor Water Polo Foundation Coach Ted Newland Friday
in the Senior Nationals at Corona del Mar High. Newland said he saw
his 'A' team, "put up bad shots, and (Bruin) almost took full
advantage of that. (Newport A) played just as bad as the B."
Newport A still managed to win its group, collecting easy
victories over Lion (Loyola Marymount) and Paradise (UC Santa
Barbara) Thursday, and holding on for the 9-5 decision over Bruin
(UCLA). Nevertheless, Newland was a bit surprised Newport made so
many mistakes against Bruin. He expects the team to rebound today,
when Newport A takes on Golden Bear A (UC Berkeley) at 11 a.m. at
CdM. Newport A will be without Newland, who will coach his B team,
which lost twice Friday, at Newport Harbor High today.
"(Newport A) didn't play smart," Newland said. "They didn't go to
their strengths. They live and die with the best frontcourt and their
defense. But, they got tired and let UCLA counter. We should have
played with a lot more patience. Sometimes, these guys get screwed up
(as Newport B)."
For the first time in the Senior Nationals, Newport A trailed in a
game, when Bruin's Matt Flesher scored after three minutes spent.
However, U.S. National Team two-meter man Ryan Bailey answered
quickly with a goal from set, 20 seconds after Flesher's strike.
Before the first quarter ended, Marc Hunt, the UCI water polo
assistant coach, connected on a penalty shot after Jeff Powers drew
the four-meter foul. Powers, a U.S. National Team two-meter man who
will be a senior at UCI in the fall, finished with one goal, while
Bailey led with three, and Omar Amr and Mike Evans scored two each.
Newport extended its lead to 5-2, after its 3-1 run in the second
quarter. Bailey took the pass from Powers and scored from set for a
3-1 lead. Then, less than a minute later, Dan Klatt blocked a shot,
goalie Genai Kerr retrieved the loose ball and that began Newport's
counterattack. It ended with a Bailey goal.
Powers closed out Newport's scoring run with a goal from two
meters out for the 5-2 lead.
"When they have to play well, they will play very well," Newland
said of his Newport squad. "They didn't look past this game or they
didn't have trouble getting up for it. They just know they can
out-physical and outsmart all these teams (in the first two days), so
that's going to bring us wins, regardless."
Bruin came as close as, 6-5, after outscoring Newport, 2-1, in the
