Fink's six goals help Newport Harbor win

NEWPORT BEACH – Newport Harbor's Curtis Fink threw up three times and briefly pulled himself from a match against El Toro on Saturday.

Fortunately for the Sailors on Wednesday night, Fink and his stomach were feeling much better.

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OCVarsity Hot Shots: Sunset showdown

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The junior attacker scored a season-high six goals on just seven shot attempts to lead No. 2 Newport Harbor past visiting No. 4 Huntington Beach, 11-9, in a critical Sunset League match.

"You played real smart," El Toro coach Don Stoll told Fink after the match.

Stoll, who scouted the match for the Chargers, later said Fink was the "best player in the tank by far."

Fink scored three of his goals in the first period to help the Sailors (16-1, 3-0) open a 5-1 lead.

Newport Harbor never trailed and didn't allow Huntington Beach (19-4, 2-1) closer than two goals in the final three periods.

Fink scored on a counterattack, a redirect on pass from Preston Lee and on the power-play in the first quarter.

Newport Harbor coach Robert Lynn said Huntington Beach's defense focused on the high-scoring Farrel South. That left the perimeter-based Fink free at times or with chances to exploit the Oilers' defensive scheme, Lynn explained.

"He was more aware today," Lynn said of Fink. "They're (Huntington Beach) trying to double South, so they have to leave someone."

Fink kept the pressure on the Oilers. Late in the second, he scored a power-play goal coming out of a timeout that extended the Sailors' lead to 7-4 with 1:34 left in the half.

In the third, he blasted a perimeter shot in off a post to give Newport Harbor a 9-6 lead.

"I'm not really worried about my performance," Fink said. "My team, they backed me up. ... They actually are the ones getting me open. (Andrew) Silvers, Farrel and (Ryan) Fowler were all the ones drawing the 6-on-5s and Coach prepared us for the type of plays they were going to run, and we just executed well."

South finished with four goals.

Huntington Beach used its impressive outside shooting to make the score close. Noah Harrison scored a team-high four goals while Max Schultz and Jovan Jeremic each added two.

But Huntington Beach coach Brian Anderson said his team's slow start was too much to overcome.

"That's what killed us," Anderson said. "You can't go down, 5-1."

The Oilers also struggled on the man-advantage, finishing 0 for 3. Newport Harbor went 3 for 8.

Newport Harbor is now tied with Los Alamitos (14-5, 3-0) for sole possession of first place in the Sunset League. The teams play next week.

"That was a big one," Lynn said of the victory against the Oilers. "(Huntington Beach) was a strong team. We prepared for them."

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com