Newport Harbor turns away Edison

NEWPORT BEACH – Newport Harbor's girls water polo team won't be accused of gliding into the playoffs.

Fresh off its title at the Irvine Southern California Championships, Orange County's top-ranked team was back in the deep end Wednesday night against surging Edison.

Yes, such are the challenges of the Sunset League.

But Newport Harbor responded to its final league test by grinding out an 8-6 victory to claim the outright Sunset title.

"We don't get a break," said Newport Harbor senior Maddy McLaren, who netted three of her game-high four goals in the first half.

"(This victory) really shows that we're improving as a team and going into CIF, it gives us a lot of confidence."

Newport Harbor (22-4, 5-0) also needed 16 saves from rising sophomore Cleo Harrington to hold off seventh-ranked Edison (15-11, 3-2).

In a match that featured mostly outside shooting, Harrington made her stand by making five saves in the final 3:57.

Harrington made two of her saves in the final minute. She blocked a power-play chance with 35 seconds left and a shot at the buzzer. The power-play stop left some of the Newport Harbor faithful chanting, "Cleo! Cleo!"

Newport Harbor led, 4-3, at halftime but got consecutive perimeter strikes from Presley Pender during a span of about 50 seconds to open a 6-3 lead.

The Michigan-bound senior notched the first goal on a cross-cage lob from the wing that found the back of the net.

Elissia Schilling then blasted a direct throw in off the bottom of the cross-bar to make it 7-3 with 2:54 left in the third.

Edison, however, didn't go quietly. But after Alys Williams' power-play strike with 5:35 left in the fourth period, the Chargers didn't score again.

Edison played Newport Harbor to the same two-goal margin that Los Alamitos did on Jan. 18. The Sailors beat the Griffins, 9-7.

"The girls played hard," Edison coach Diggy Riley said. "I thought we played as well as we could for probably most of the game."

Newport Harbor's press defense contested many of Edison's shots and was a big reason why Williams didn't score a natural goal. The UCLA signee also scored on a penalty shot but was a force on defense with five steals.

Still, Riley was encouraged that the Chargers played Newport Harbor close despite a quiet offensive game from the high-scoring Williams.

"That tells you how far our girls have come as a team," Riley said.

In another Sunset League game:

Huntington Beach 13, Fountain Valley 7: Hana Lambur scored five goals and Ellen Hayami added three to help the Oilers (21-7, 2-3) secure fourth place.

In the Trinity League:

No. 10 Rosary 7, No. 10 Santa Margarita 6: Noelle Herrera scored three goals and Katie Tijerina added two goals and three assists at Servite as the Royals (15-9, 2-1) secured second-place in the powerhouse Division 2 league.