Holiday Cup attracts elite field

Seven girls water polo teams ranked in the Orange County Top 10 -- including No. 1 Corona del Mar and No. 2 Foothill – help highlight the field for this week’s Holiday Cup.

The 16-team tournament runs Friday and Saturday at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar. The final is Saturday at Newport Harbor at 4:05 p.m.

Corona del Mar (3-0) and defending tournament champion Foothill (5-1) could collide in the semifinals Saturday at Newport Harbor at 11:45 a.m. The first semifinal is scheduled for 10:40 a.m.

Newport Harbor’s JV could be an interesting team at the Holiday Cup to watch, perhaps in the consolation bracket.

The squad, which opens against 2011 Holiday Cup runner-up Santa Barbara, features U.S. youth team goalie Carlee Kapana, a sophomore who is behind Newport Harbor junior goalie Cleo Harrington.

Kapana helped lead Newport Harbor’s JV team past Beckman, 14-6, in the finals of the varsity Lil’ Pickle Showdown at Costa Mesa on Saturday.