Gabby Alexson scores golden goal in second sudden-death overtime period to lead Newport Harbor back to CIF-Southern Section Open Division final following 12-11 pool-play victory against Orange Lutheran

COSTA MESA – Before the final CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls water polo pool-play match even reached the opening sprint Tuesday night, fans of both Newport Harbor and Orange Lutheran were standing and cheering in the Orange Coast College bleachers upon learning just moments earlier that Oaks Christian had upset top-seeded Mater Dei in overtime.

Following the longest contest in Open Division playoff history – 37 minutes, 47 seconds to be exact – spectators from both programs were still on their feet applauding every steal, save and defensive stop, just waiting for one team to decide the outcome with a golden goal in sudden-death overtime.

Newport Harbor 2-meter standout Gabby Alexson received a perfectly placed pass from fellow sophomore Madison Mack, before spinning away from an Orange Lutheran defender and scoring inside the far post with 2:13 remaining in the second sudden-death session, lifting the No. 3 Sailors to a 12-11 victory against second-seeded Orange Lutheran (23-4), halting a five-match losing streak against the Lancers.

Post-match interviews

Newport Harbor (24-5), the inaugural Open Division champion in 2022, advanced to Saturday’s final at 12:10 p.m. against No. 4 Oaks Christian (21-7) – a 12-11 overtime winner Tuesday at Mater Dei (23-4) – at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Gabby Alexson, left, with Lydia Soderberg, center, and Valery Verdugo of Newport Harbor girls water polo | Erik Boal photo

Newport Harbor has won six section titles, but have never squared off against the Lions in a championship match.

The Sailors won two of three regular-season meetings against Oaks Christian, including a 12-7 victory Jan. 25 at the Newport Invite at Santa Ana Foothill High.

Newport Harbor rallied from a 10-8 deficit with 2:43 remaining in the fourth quarter following a 6-on-5 goal by junior Estelle Karaba for the Lancers.

Addison Ting, a freshman, converted a rare 6-on-3 opportunity for the Sailors to cut the deficit to 10-9 with 1:55 left in regulation.

Mack had the potential tying shot ricochet off the crossbar with one minute remaining, but Newport Harbor forced another defensive stop and sophomore Valery Verdugo tied the score at 10-10 with 21 seconds left on her third goal of the contest.

Verdugo added a match-high six assists for the Sailors, including a pass to Alexson with 2:03 remaining in the first three-minute overtime period to give Newport Harbor an 11-10 advantage.

Jailynn Robinson, a UCLA-bound senior and the reigning Open Division Player of the Year, helped Orange Lutheran rally with 28 seconds left in the first overtime session to pull even at 11-11.

Robinson provided the lone goal in the final 12:30 of the contest for the Lancers, who were seeking a third consecutive appearance in the Open Division final.

After neither team scored in the second overtime period, the first three-minute sudden-death session featured a dramatic moment with 1:50 left when Newport Harbor senior Caitlin Stayt fired a shot that hit the inside of the left post, but Orange Lutheran senior goalkeeper Kyla Pranajaya – a San Diego State commit – was able to react quick enough to prevent the ball from crossing the plane of the goal to allow play to continue.

Pranajaya had 11 saves for the Lancers, including a combined seven in the fourth quarter and four overtime periods.

Orange Lutheran won the opening sprint of the second sudden-death session, but the Lancers were unable to capitalize, allowing Newport Harbor to spread out its offense to create space in the middle of the pool for Alexson, who relied on recent training with resistance bands to showcase the necessary strength to produce one of the most memorable goals in Newport Harbor playoff history.

Emerson Mulvey scored twice, with senior Harper Price, freshman Kennedy Fahey and Mack also contributing goals for Newport Harbor, which received eight saves from UC Santa Barbara-bound senior goalkeeper Lydia Soderberg.

Karaba led Orange Lutheran with three goals, Eve Webb and Robinson both scored twice, with Allison Cohen, Liz Nicoloff, Kate Sloman and Michelle Urkov adding goals for the Lancers.