Corona del Mar Beats Rival For Girls' Water Polo Title

Five years ago when they met in the Southern Section Championships to determine a girls' water polo champion, Newport Harbor beat Corona del Mar.

Last year, when they met in the finals, Newport Harbor beat Corona del Mar.

But on Saturday, it was the Sea Queens' turn to reign.

Corona del Mar won its sixth championship—but first in four tries in Division 1—with a 6-5 victory over its arch-rival in front of well more than 1,000 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine.

The title is the first since 2006, and gives the third-seeded Sea Queens (27-4) one more championship than fourth-seeded Newport Harbor (24-7), which also entered the match with five titles.

CdM got four goals from Ally McCormick en route to its historic win over the fourth-seeded Sailors.

Also scoring for CdM were Marina Coskinas and Cassidy Papa with a goal apiece.

Goalkeeper Eric Weed recorded six saves in the winning effort for Corona del Mar.

The CdM offense gave Newport a workout. Sailors goalkeeper Cleo Harrington recorded nine saves.

This was the fifth meeting of the season between the programs, and Corona del Mar took the rubber match.

It was a game of runs. Newport Harbor took a 2-0 lead, Corona del Mar scored the next four goals and Newport then tied it at 4-4. 

McCormick answered with a goal midway in the third quarter for a 5-4 lead for the Sea Queens, and Coskinas' lob into the net made it 6-4 midway in the fourth.

Newport Harbor's Carly Christian scored on a power play to pull to 6-5, but CdM held off the Sailors match-tying over the final two minutes.

Elissia Schilling scored two goals for Newport. Avery Peterson and Rachel Whitelegge also scored.

To read quotes and additonal details about the match, check out stories in OC Varsity and the Daily Pilot.