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COSTA MESA — As Newport Harbor and Orange Lutheran’s girls water polo teams were about to finish warmups for their CIF-SS Open Division semifinal on Tuesday night, the crowd burst into cheers after learning the stunning result of the other semifinal.
An unpredictable playoff round in the section’s premier division was just starting to heating up.
Sophomore center Gabby Alexson scored from center with 2:13 remaining in double sudden death overtime as third-seeded Newport Harbor rallied past two-time defending champion Orange Lutheran 12-11 in a thrilling match at Orange Coast College.
Gabby Alexson (14), center, of Newport Harbor, celebrates with teammates after she scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime to defeat Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor’s Valery Verdugo (7) and Sophia Verdugo (11) celebrate after defeating Orange Lutheran in sudden-death overtime in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Gabby Alexson (14) of Newport Harbor, left, takes a shot to score the winning goal in sudden-death overtime against Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor celebrates after defeating Orange Lutheran in sudden-death overtime in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Addison Ting (5) of Newport Harbor takes a shot for a goal over the defense of Michelle Urkov (10) of Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor’s Valery Verdugo (7) shoots for a goal to tie the score against Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Michelle Urkov (10) of Orange Lutheran takes the shot for the goal over the defense Caitlin Stayt (10) of Newport Harbor in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The ball gets past Newport Harbor goalie Lydia Soderberg (1) for a goal in a game against Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor celebrates after defeating Orange Lutheran in sudden-death overtime in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Estelle Karaba (7) of Orange Lutheran takes a shot for a goal over the defense of Caitlin Stayt (10) of Newport Harbor in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor assistant coach Maddie Musselman during a game against Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange Lutheran goalie Kyla Pranajaya (1) makes a save on a shot by Newport Harbor in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption1 of 12Gabby Alexson (14), center, of Newport Harbor, celebrates with teammates after she scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime to defeat Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ExpandAlexson scored on the Sailors’ first possession of the second sudden-death period, taking a well-placed entry pass from sophomore Madison Mack. As the lob pass dropped between two defenders, Alexson reached for the ball, turned and scored at the near corner.
And just like that, Newport Harbor’s young squad emerged with its breakout moment. The Sailors (24-5) screamed for joy in the water, on the pool deck and finally in the locker room.
“I feel like electric right now,” said Alexson, who scored three goals from center, drew six exclusions and a penalty. “All us, we’ve played together for so long. (I’m) so proud of everyone. Last year, we were in the same situation and we fell to OLu (7-6) in the semifinals.”
“They can’t get a three-peat anymore,” she added. “It feels so good.”
In the finals Saturday at Mt. SAC, Newport Harbor will face No. 4 seed Oaks Christian, which upset No. 1 Mater Dei 12-11 in overtime in the earlier semifinal at Mater Dei High.
Few probably predicted a Newport Harbor-Oaks Christian final.
“Except for Oaks and Newport people,” said Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair, who guided the Sailors’ boys to an Open Division title in the fall. “I think any Newport team at this point … we’re always going to the little things. We’re going to work in practice, make the appropriate adjustments come postseason. That’s part of it.”
“Regular season is fun but postseason is where you got to go take it up a notch,” the coach added.
Orange Lutheran, which was 2-0 against Newport Harbor in the regular season, led 10-8 with just over two minutes left in regulation but couldn’t hold off the Sailors.
Newport Harbor freshman attacker Addison Ting scored on a rare 6-on-3 power play with 1:55 left. A perimeter strike by Sailors sophomore attacker Valery Verdugo with 21 seconds left tied the score at 10-10 and forced overtime.
Verdugo recorded her fifth assist early in the first three-minute overtime by finding Alexson, who narrowly beat the shot clock with a goal from center.
Orange Lutheran (23-4) answered late in the first OT frame with a redirect by Jailynn Robinson off a cross pass by Michelle Urkov but Newport Harbor eventually seized its opportunity.
“Every year we’ve wanted to win it, and this year we’ve wanted it the most,” said Verdugo, who had three goals and two steals. “Getting a ring (for our seniors) is so important.”
Newport Harbor’s 6-on-3 conversion loomed significant.
“It’s rare,” Orange Lutheran coach Brenda Villa said of a 6-on-3 opportunity. “But even with that, I felt that we still had our chances.”
“We missed a penalty,” the coach added. “We were there and we just couldn’t finish it.”
Newport Harbor went 2 for 9 on the power play and converted its lone penalty shot. Orange Lutheran went 5 for 8 with the extra attacker and 1 for 2 on penalty shots.
One of the Sailors’ main strategies was sending entry passes into center early in the shot clock to negate the Lancers’ ability to drop extra defenders.
Also in the Open Division:
Mater Dei 12, Oaks Christian 11: The host Monarchs (23-4) led 11-7 with about three minutes left in regulation and fell to a Lions team (21-7) they defeated 16-8 at the Newport Invite.
More results to come.
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