NEWPORT BEACH – Corona del Mar’s girls water polo team earned the chance Friday night to upset San Marcos of Santa Barbara in sudden-death overtime at the Irvine Southern California Championships.
Considering who San Marcos had sprinting to open the extra period, that was no small feat. Considering the personnel challenges Corona del Mar faced, earning the chance against the No. 3 seed required maximum effort.
But after Corona del Mar didn’t convert, goalie Sophie Trumbull and speedy Paige Hauschild took advantage. Hauschild scored a power-play goal with 1:32 left in sudden-death after a short-handed save by Trumbull to lift San Marcos over the host Sea Kings, 9-8.
San Marcos (24-2) took its only lead on the goal and advanced to today’s all-Division 1 semifinals. San Marcos will play Foothill, an 11-5 winner against El Toro, at 11 a.m. at Woollett Aquatics Center.
Top-seeded Laguna Beach, a 13-5 winner against Murrieta Valley, takes on Dos Pueblos of Goleta in the 10 a.m. semifinal.
Corona del Mar (15-7) earned its chance to sink San Marcos by first making a steal at center after Hauschild – seventh in the 100-yard freestyle last spring in Div. 1 – won the sudden-death opening sprint the Sea Kings conceded.
Corona del Mar’s Chloe Harbilas (two goals) drew an exclusion on a weak-side drive on the ensuing possession, giving the Sea Kings an organized power play coming out of a timeout.
Corona del Mar made eight passes, working both sides of the attack, before Harbilas turned the last pass from Jaleh Moaddeli into a skip shot that Trumbull knocked down for her 12th save.
Seconds later, Hauschild drew an exclusion on the counterattack and moved in one-on-one against Heidi Ritner (10 saves) for the near-side skip shot for her game-high fifth goal.
“We got the look that we wanted and that’s all you can ask,” said CdM coach Kevin Ricks. “A kid like (Hauschild) finds ways, and she did.”
San Marcos rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits and overcame two fourth-period goals off spin and turn moves by Moaddeli (three goals).
“They keep improving,” San Marcos coach Chuckie Roth said of CdM. “I guess my girls got some heart.”
In other games:
In consolation:
San Clemente 10, Newport Harbor 9: Amber McCutcheon scored seven goals, including the winner with 2:02 left, to rally the Tritons to the upset. Newport Harbor led, 7-4, at halftime.
In the semifinals:
Foothill 11, El Toro 5: Val Ayala scored four goals and Kenzie Snyder made 10 saves to lead the host Knights.
Laguna Beach 13, Murrieta Valley 5: Bella Baldridge and Natalie Selin each scored four goals to lead the Breakers at Woollett.
Dos Pueblos 10, Royal 7: Abbi Hill and Ryann Neushul each scored four goals to lead the Chargers at Woollett. Dos Pueblos and San Marcos give the Channell League two teams in the semifinals.
