Sophomore standout Ash Molthen of Orange Lutheran will begin a two-game suspension starting with Thursday’s showdown against Mater Dei because he played for the U.S. national team over the weekend in a match against the Olympic club in Northern California, Lancers coach Steve Carrera said.
Molthen violated the section’s rules on outside competition, Carrera said.
“It’s a huge blow,” said Carrera, who added that the left-hander will also miss the Lancers’ Trinity League game against Servite next week. “But we’re going to play the game. … We have to deal with it.”
Orange Lutheran’s other standout sophomore, Hannes Daube, also played for the national team in Northern California but avoided the two-game suspension because he was yet to be declared eligible because of his transfer from Newport Harbor, Carrera said. Daube’s sit-out period ended Monday and he will make his debut Thursday when the Lancers play host to Mater Dei at Santiago Canyon College at 4 p.m.
Carrera said the CIF-SS indicated that Molthen needed to get approval to play for the U.S. national team. The section’s bylaw 600 states that players become ineligible if they play for an outside team, in the same sport, during their season of sport without.
USA Water Polo declined to comment Wednesday. The CIF-SS also declined comment, citing privacy laws.
Please send water polo news to Dan Albano at dalbano@ocregister.com
