By Matt Phelps

The Mercer Island girls water polo team has not been perfect — but its record is. The Islanders entered spring break Friday with an undefeated mark of 6-0 but got a scare from Newport, holding on for the 5-4 victory.

“We have to get back into the mentality of winning,” said Islander Ashley Sturgis. “We are making some stupid errors, but our biggest problem is our shooting accuracy.”

The lack of accuracy hurt Mercer Island against Newport as the Islanders were just 5-for-21 on shot attempts.

“This was a good game for us to have at this point in the season,” said Islander captain Sara Boehler. “It is a wake up call and it shows us what we need to work on.”

The Islanders began the game with a good offensive attack.

Danielle Welch plucked the ball from a Newport player’s grasp at 5:53 mark of the first period. The steal set up Mercer Island in a half-pool offense. Welch slung the ball cross the pool to Boehler, who caught it and fired a shot at the Newport goal in the same motion. The smack of the ball off the back of the plastic backing gave Mercer Island a 1-0 lead.

But a trend began with that goal, as Newport came right back to tie the game on its very next possession.

“They run some good things that we haven’t had a chance to talk about,” said Mercer Island aquatics head coach Jeff Lowell. “But when we figured it out we were able to stop it easier. But we had a lot of missed opportunities.”

Those opportunities became four saves in the first 3:30 of the game for the Knights’ goalkeeper.

Boehler took another hard shot just as time ran out on the first quarter, but a stop by the Newport keeper kept the score at 1-1 heading into the second period.

The second quarter was a defensive struggle before Mercer Island broke through with a goal by Sturgis and an assist from Welch just 1:15 into the period. Newport came right back, tying the game on its ensuing possession.

“We were having a tough time mentally getting back on defense,” said Sturgis.

The Islanders regained the lead when Boehler gave a pass to Georgia Gier, who lobbed the ball with her left hand just out of the keeper’s reach for the 3-2 lead. More importantly, the Islanders earned a stop on Newport’s next possession. However, Mercer Island failed to capitalize, leaving the Knights to set up in front on the Islander goal with time running out on the clock. Mercer Island goalkeeper Jane Billbe leapt out of the water for a save with 12 seconds left in the period.

“Jane has been doing a great job for us,” said Sturgis. “She has long arms and legs and made some great outlet passes today. Both of our keepers have done a great job this season.”

Sturgis tried to get fancy on the Islanders’ first possession of the second half. A hook shot from behind the back just hit off the right post of the goal. Mercer Island put some distance between it and Newport during its next trip down the pool.

After a failed shot attempt from the Knights, Boehler held the ball and set up the half-pool offense. A lob pass outside to Shannon McKenzie drew the defense away from the goal. McKenzie then sent a lob pass back inside to Welch for a point-blank shot that gave Mercer Island a 4-2 lead.

Newport came back to score on its next possession.

But then the Knights got sloppy. A personal foul gave the Islanders a penalty shot from four-meters out. Welch sent a hard shot to the upper right corner of the Knight’s goal for the 5-3 lead with 30 seconds remaining in the third period. The goal proved to be the difference in the game.

“We have had a tough week outside of the pool,” said Boehler. “All things considered, I think we played really well. We all had a tough time staying in the game mentally.”

On Thursday, the team played at Shorewood and won 8-3 behind Welch, who scored three goals, and Boehler, who was a pick-pocket with six steals, two goals and three assists.

The girls water polo team breaks this week for vacation, but will resume play at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday against Sammamish High School at Mary Wayte Pool.