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LOS ALAMITOS — Newport Harbor’s girls water polo team held off the charge by Laguna Beach this time.
And the Sailors snapped a few impressive winning streaks by the Breakers in the process Tuesday night.
But a 7-5 victory against the reigning Surf League champion wasn’t cause for too much celebration from Newport Harbor at Los Alamitos High, no matter what transpired at the Bill Barnett Holiday Cup five days earlier
Laguna Beach’s Cleo Washer looks to get around Newport Harbor’s Taylor Smith during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach’s Jordan Schneider chases down a Newport Harbor player during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Ana Beatriz Mantellado Dias, 12, scores against Laguna Beach goalie Lauren Schneider during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach’s Ava Knepper shoots against Newport Harbor during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor goalie watches the ball pass by her as Laguna Beach’s Ava Houlahan, 14, scores during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Taylor Smith shoots against Laguna Beach’s Ava Knepper during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach goalie Lauren Schneider blocks a shot against Newport Harbor during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Ana Beatriz Mantellado Dias, 12, scores against Laguna Beach goalie Lauren Schneider during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair talks to his team as they play against Laguna Beach during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato speaks to his team during a girls water polo game against Newport Harbor at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach’s Ava Knepper passes the ball against Newport Harbor’s Taylor Smith during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Lily Gess keeps the ball away from Laguna Beach’s Charlotte Riches during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Avery Montiel bets Laguna Beach’s Hannah Carver to the ball during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor’s Ana Beatriz Mantellado Dias, sprints down the pool against Laguna Beach during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato speaks to his team during a girls water polo game against Newport Harbor at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair in a game against Laguna Beach during a girls water polo game at Los Alamitos High School Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Newport Harbor won 7-5.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laguna Beach nearly mounted another epic comeback but Brazilian exchange student Bia Mantellato scored from center with eight seconds left in the fourth period to calm the currents and essentially end the Breakers’ 42-match winning streak.
The Breakers (12-1, 0-1), ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 1, rallied from a four-goal deficit to edge Newport Harbor 10-9 in sudden-death overtime in the final of the Holiday Cup last week.
On Tuesday, No. 2 Newport Harbor (8-1, 2-0) led 6-1 in the middle of the third period before Laguna Beach responded with a 4-0 run, capped by a skip-shot strike by Ava Knepper with 38 seconds left in regulation.
Mantellato then beat Laguna Beach’s press coming out of a timeout for her match-high fourth goal and UCLA-bound Taylor Smith added a steal to clinch the victory. It was Laguna Beach’s first league loss since 2006 in the Pacific Coast.
“It’s tough to win a league game in our league so that’s obviously a positive for us,” Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair said. “We won because of our defense tonight. We left a lot of (scoring) opportunities out there.”
“I think we just lose mental focus and I think we get too caught up in the score,” he added. “They’re high school kids. We’ll work on that.”
Newport Harbor went 0 for 8 on the power-play, including one two-player advantage in which it opted to send one player to defense.
Laguna Beach goalie Lauren Schneider played a major role in the Sailors’ offensive struggles, making 12 saves, including several at point-blank range. The quick junior recorded three saves against the power-play and also blocked a penalty.
“I thought Lauren Schneider was spectacular,” Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato said. “If she doesn’t have the game she had, we’re getting blown out today. She kept us in it and gave us a chance.”
“We’ve got a lot of fight in us but we got to find a way to play better water polo in the first half,” he added.
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The Breakers also need to try to slow down Mantellato. The Hawaii-bound senior scored three of her goals in the first half and drew a penalty shot. “(Newport) returned the most already,” Damato said. “She’s a great player. She’s played well in both games.”
Ava Houlahan and Knepper each scored twice for Laguna Beach, which went 1 for 5 on the power-play.
