Kiley Neushul scored five goals on Wednesday and the Dos Pueblos girls water polo team needed every one of them, defeating Newport Harbor 9-8 at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine to advance to a second-straight CIF championship match.
“It’s awesome to be back in the finals, and this time we’ve done it in Division I,” said Tiera Schroeder, who had four kickouts and three steals for DP, which won the Division II crown over Santa Barbara last year.
Newport (23-7) decided not to double-team Neushul and paid for it, but Schroeder said she could understand why the decision was made.
“Everyone on our team is a threat, and now that we’re healthy and at full-strength it’s hard to do that. You can’t double-team everybody,” she said.
The Chargers went 5-for-6 in man-up situations, with Neushul scoring twice. Amanda Redfern added a pair of goals in the match, while Alex Hill and Kodi Hill each had one. Goalie Sami Hill, now healed from a hand injury, had 10 saves in the cage.
Newport scored the game’s first goal to put an early scare in the Chargers, who had a 3-goal lead at one point which almost slipped away.
“They’re a very aggressive defensive team and they do a lot of kicking and grabbing. They do it very well, though, in a way that’s hard to make calls on,” said head coach Danelle Little.
The Chargers beat the Sailors without Hill in the cage about a month ago, but lost to them earlier in the season while Neushul was out with an injury. The Chargers will now face Corona del Mar in Saturday’s championship match in the same pool. DP handed the Sea Queens (29-1) their only loss of the season this year, but CDM took down the Chargers twice. Neushul was out for the first loss, while Hill was out for the second.
Fasten your seat belts.
(Above photo: Tiera Schroeder shoots. Courtesy Peter Neushul)
DOS PUEBLOS 9, NEWPORT HARBOR 8
Dos Pueblos….3 2 2 2 — 9
Newport Harbor….2 1 2 3 — 8
Goals — NH: Jackson 1, Klippert 2, Gilchrist 4, McCall 1. DP: Neushul 5, Redfern 2, AHill 1, KHill 1.
