Mater Dei’s top-ranked boys water polo team claimed the outright Trinity League title Wednesday night by cruising to another victory, but the real drama arrived on the pool deck afterward when the coins came out.
Moments after the Monarchs’ 15-6 victory against visiting No. 6 Orange Lutheran, the Lancers, No. 7 Santa Margarita and No. 8 Servite held a coin flip to solve their three-way tie for second place in the Division 1 league. All three teams beat each other in league.
A few of the Orange Lutheran faithful watched anxiously nearby and burst into cheers after the Lancers (18-7, 3-2) won the flip for second place.
“I’ve never been so happy after a loss in my entire life,” a smiling Lancers coach Steve Carrera said. “We’re just excited to be in the playoffs.”
Santa Margarita (22-5, 3-2) will play at Servite (19-10, 3-2) on Thursday at 5 p.m. in a one-match playoff for third place and the league’s final automatic playoff berth. The loser’s season will be over because there are no at-large berths in any of the seven divisions after a new rule passed last year by the CIF Southern Section Council regarding playoff brackets.
“It’s exciting and it’s what we’re all here for — for the excitement of the games,” Santa Margarita coach Paden Mitchell said of the league playoff. “(But) it’s a bummer that (our league has) a top-10 team in the county, in the division, that’s not going to go to the playoffs.
“I think now, a lot of people look back on it and go, ‘Why did we vote those wild-card teams out?’ I don’t see this standing forever.”
Nick Silvers paced Mater Dei (22-4, 5-0) by scoring three of his game-high six goals in the fourth period. Left-hander Luke Wyatt added three goals and Jonathan Van De Velde made eight saves for the Monarchs, who likely sealed the No. 2 playoff seed in Division 1.
Mater Dei never trailed and scored the first four goals of the third period to pull away from the Lancers, who got two goals apiece from freshmen Ash Molthen and Matt Kacura.
Connor Talleur helped spark the third-period run by scoring a man-advantage goal about 1:30 into the third on a diagonal pass from Silvers for a 6-3 lead. Matthew Payne added another power-play strike about a minute later and the Monarchs were rolling.
Mater Dei finished 6 for 8 with the extra attacker; Orange Lutheran went 1 for 4. Mater Dei, now eight-time Trinity League champions, also netted four counterattack goals.
“It wasn’t a very good game executive-wise but the counterattack picked up in the third quarter and did a good job,” Mater Dei coach Chris Segesman said. “(We) got to be way more focused Friday when we play (No. 2) Corona del Mar.”
In other Trinity League games Wednesday, Servite edged JSerra, 15-13, while Santa Margarita handled St. John Bosco, 20-6.
In the Sunset League:
Edison 4, No. 9 Los Alamitos 3: Dane Estrella scored a power-play goal on an assist from Jake Moss coming out of a timeout with six minutes left in the fourth, and goalie James Rydjeski made 13 saves as the Chargers beat the Griffins for the first time since 2002 to force a three-way tie in the Division 1 league.
The Chargers (13-12, 3-2), Griffins (10-15, 3-2) and Newport Harbor (8-16, 3-2) tied for second behind league champion Huntington Beach (5-0). Edison won the coin flip afterward and will play Los Alamitos at Newport Harbor on Thursday at 3 p.m. for second place. The loser of the match will play Newport Harbor 45 minutes after the first match ends for the third and final playoff berth.
Los Alamitos earned the draw against Edison based on its head-to-head victory against Newport Harbor in league.
“We’ll be ready,” Edison coach Diggy Riley said. “Our guys have an opportunity to get second. … The opportunity was all we were asking for.”
Estrella finished with three goals to pace Edison. Los Alamitos played without center Adam Lott, who suffered a torn rotator cuff Friday against Sacred Heart Prep at the Memorial Cup. Lott will not play Thursday, Griffins coach Brent Danna said.
Los Alamitos goalie Steve Mori also had 13 saves.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
