Sailors falter in hockey championship

IRVINE ? The Newport Harbor High roller hockey team closed out its season with a 7-4 loss to Los Alamitos in the Interscholastic Hockey Federation JV-A finals Tuesday night at the California Hockey Center.

But the team hardly walked away empty handed.

Team members finished their nine-month season with some sort of satisfaction, especially seniors Rory Campbell, Sarah Taylor and goalie Colin Meatzie, who knew they at least made it to May.

Coach Jim Irwin said his team wasn’t the most talented around at the beginning of the season. By the end, however, the Sailors had managed to win the season title with a 13-1-1 record.

“Obviously, it’s a disappointment,” said Irwin. “But not from a coaching standpoint. They worked their [butts] off and got beat by a good team.”

Los Alamitos, seeded No. 3, defeated top-seeded Newport Harbor for the second time this season.

After the Sailors’ first-period performance, it appeared the first-place trophy would be theirs. Newport Harbor glided out to a quick start with a goal by Cameron Monahan less than five minutes into the game.

“I was so pumped,” said Monahan. “I wanted to win.”

Preston Kelly followed his lead, scoring for a 2-0 lead. Kurt Newmeyer scored three minutes later with an assist from Monahan.

Los Alamitos came back two minutes later, when John Thompson broke free from a Newport Harbor trap and scored with 8:25 remaining in the first period.

The Griffins tied the score, 3-3, in the second period, but Monahan gave Newport Harbor the 4-3 lead just before the start of the third.

Newport Harbor’s spark lost its heat as Los Alamitos went on a 3-0 run in the final 10 minutes, and the team saw its championship hopes fade.

Both teams had nine shots in the third period, but Newport Harbor was unable to convert.

But in the end, the team was all smiles.

Monahan, the team’s leading scorer with 77 points entering the final, had two goals and two assists in the championship game. He took home trophies for top scorer, most assists and most goals this season.dpt.10-hockey-1-CPhotoInfoQB1QPVMS20060510iz17x8ncMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Los Alamitos goalie David Finney, left, swipes the puck away from Newport Harbor’s Cameron Monahan, right, during Tuesday night’s roller hockey game.