ORANGE – The narrow view was painful for Orange Lutheran’s boys water polo team Wednesday.
The fifth-ranked Lancers fell in sudden-death overtime to Loyola of Los Angeles, 5-4, in an edge-of-your-seat CIF-SS Division 1 affair at Santiago Canyon College.
Orange Lutheran coach Steve Carrera opted of the wide-angle view after the nearly 11/2-hour match ended on a power-play strike by Armen Deirmenjian with 52 seconds left in the first sudden-death period.
“We’re a team that continues to improve,” Carrera said. “(And) we’re missing a big piece to the puzzle.”
That piece is sophomore Hannes Daube, a touted transfer from Newport Harbor who is observing the sit-out period until Oct. 5.
The Lancers (3-3) also were without another key player, sophomore Ash Molthen, for large chunks of the second and third periods because of foul trouble.
Orange Lutheran showed its depth despite playing without a senior. The Lancers led the Cubs, ranked third in Division 1, 2-1, at halftime and, 3-2, going into the fourth.
“Parker Killion played well at 2-meter defense,” Carrera said. “Garrett Zaan coming off the bench gave us some depth, and Josh Orrick played very well at center. … Noah Sasaki played very well.”
Orange Lutheran goalie Jake Simmons made four of his 10 saves in the fourth period.
Early in the fourth, Molthen blasted a cross-cage shot from about 5 meters into the upper corner to give the Lancers a 4-3 lead with 5:11 left. But the Cubs forced a bad pass about a minute later, drew an exclusion on a counterattack and scored a slick power-play goal by lefty Mac Carey on a pass from left-hander Miles Schridde.
Regulation ended tied, 4-4, after the Cubs misfired on a last-second power-play chance. At the end of the first regulation overtime, Molthen fired a power-play chance off the crossbar.
The Lancers won the sprint to open sudden death, but Molthen missed a shot. Orange Lutheran’s defense held, but it missed a power-play chance before Loyola’s counterattack set up the winning extra-man strike.
The Cubs finished 2 for 10 with the extra attacker; Orange Lutheran 1 for 6.
“We felt we could win. We missed some really good chances,” Carrera said. “Division 1 is absolutely stacked.”
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
