Heroes emerged. Senior Kimmy Morrison had scored just 21 goals this season and one in the playoffs. But, with senior Mimi Bury fouled out, Morrison had a huge goal from set with just less than three minutes left in regulation, bringing the Sailors within a single goal.
Senior Erin Reid, often the first off the bench, had two goals in the game, including the one preceding Morrison’s that helped get the rally going.
The deep Sailors have shown this year that they have players on the bench who can contribute. And the feeling that Newport Harbor is a cohesive all-around team partially comes because the team plays together year-round.
Newport Harbor and CdM are two of the few club teams in Southern California that are formed just from single high schools.
Last summer, playing as an 18-and-under club team for the Newport Water Polo Foundation, the Sailors competed in the S&R Sport Junior Olympics in San Jose. Newport Harbor placed eighth in the 51-team field, not a bad showing against superpower teams such as eventual Junior Olympic champion Santa Barbara Water Polo Club.
SBWPC draws girls from both Dos Pueblos High of Goleta, this year’s CIF Southern Section Division II champion, and Division II runner-up Santa Barbara High.
But Newport actually beat SBWPC, 8-7, in one of the tournament’s games. Bury said that game really told hear what this year’s Sailors could accomplish in the high school season.
“As a high school team, we beat Santa Barbara,” Bury said. “I think that was a big eye-opener to the potential of our team.”
Senior goalie Morgan Vickers agreed.
