The Sailors (4-2) will play defending tournament champion Dos Pueblos in a semifinal of the tournament today at 10:40 a.m. at Newport Harbor. The championship game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Newport Harbor, the defending CIF champions ranked No. 1 in the preseason CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, started strong against Palos Verdes (6-3), ranked No. 3 in Division II.
Six different players — Katie Jackson, Mia Butera, Nicolina McCall, McKenna Cottam, Kaleigh Gilchrist and Kate Klippert — scored the Tars’ first six goals of the game.
By the time of Klippert’s strike, on a counterattack midway through the second quarter, Newport Harbor had a 6-2 advantage.
“It worked out,” said Gilchrist, who finished with a game-high five goals and four steals. “We were countering a lot that game, and it opened up a lot of people.”
Klippert scored three goals and Jackson and McCall each scored twice for Newport Harbor. McCall also had three assists.
The pressing Sailors led by as much as 10 goals, at 15-5, before Palos Verdes scored the final three goals of the game. Freshman Monica Vavic, the daughter of USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic, led the Sea Kings with four goals.
“Newport’s tough,” Palos Verdes Coach Chris Murin said. “They’re very aggressive and a good counterattack team.”
Today’s game against Dos Pueblos will be played without Chargers sophomore standout Kiley Neushul, who has a hand injury. But the Chargers have won eight straight since a season-opening loss to Corona del Mar.
“They’re still a really good team,” Gilchrist said. “It’ll be exciting. We lost to them last year in the tournament so we want to come out and beat them this time.”
