NEWPORT BEACH – Seeded No. 2 at Newport Harbor’s Holiday Cup, Dos Pueblos’ girls water polo team made sure everyone knows who is really No. 1.
The Chargers, ranked No. 1 in the CIF preseason poll to the Sailors’ No. 2, brought down the No. 1-seeded host 7-4 on Thursday for the tournament title.
Dos Pueblos’ Kiley Neushul lifts a pass during Thursday’s Holiday Cup final against Newport Harbor.
Dos Pueblos improves to 11-0 after four tournament wins, including a 6-4 victory over Corona del Mar in the tournament’s semifinals earlier on Thursday.
“I think this is the first time that we’ve been able to really pull it together and click. It felt good,” said Alex Hill, who scored a team-high three times against Newport.
Dos Pueblos took command from the start, building a 5-2 lead by halftime. The Chargers seemed to play with a purpose, taking a 3-0 lead after just three and a half minutes. Kiley Neushul set the tone, finding Hill for the game’s first score, then scoring the third goal herself on a powerful backhand.
Sami Hill was a backstop as usual in goal for DP, stopping 17 shots from Newport.
Kaleigh Gilchrist got past Hill for two goals, with Colleen McCall and Kathryn Klippert each adding one for the Sailors.
Gilchrist made the score 5-3 with a quick goal to begin the third period but Newport failed to get any closer, not scoring again until after giving up consecutive goals to Jamie Neushul and Tiera Schroeder.
“(Newport) is such a good team. We knew we had to bring it so I think that’s why we played so well,” added Alex Hill.
Dos Pueblos, already 2-0 in Channel League play, plays next at Ventura on January 12.
DOS PUEBLOS 7, NEWPORT HARBOR 4
Dos Pueblos 3 2 1 1 – 7
Newport Harbor 1 1 1 1 – 4
DP Scores – A. Hill 3, K. Neushul, J. Neushul, N. Morelos, Schroeder. NH Scores – Gilchrist 2, Klippert, McCall.
