IRVINE – The return of a standout player and a trademark counterattack powered Mater Dei’s boys water polo team back to familiar waters Wednesday night.
Attacker Nick Lavayen returned from about a month absence because of a thumb injury to score four goals off the bench, leading the second-seeded Monarchs past upstart Huntington Beach, 16-10, in a CIF Division 1 semifinal at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
In advancing to a fifth consecutive Division 1 final and eighth straight overall, the Monarchs (26-4) used an active defense featuring multiple field blocks to spark a counterattack – water polo’s version of the fastbreak – that netted seven goals.
But it was the return of Lavayen that first pushed the Monarchs, who play top-seeded and defending champion Harvard-Westlake of Studio City in the final for a second consecutive season on Saturday. The CIF game times will be announced Thursday morning.
“Lavayen is a superstar,” Mater Dei coach Chris Segesman said of the senior. “Nick’s intensity, passion and leadership are something we can’t replace.”
Huntington Beach (21-7), making its first Division 1 semifinal appearance since 1958, held the early momentum after a perimeter strike by Noah Nelson and a penalty-block save by goalie Alex Wolf. But Segesman then inserted Lavayen and the MVP from the summer Junior Olympics scored from 7 meters, fed Sean Duncan for a score at center and scored a counterattack goal off his steal for a 3-1 lead before the end of the first.
“I was super-stoked to be back in the water,” said Lavayen, who had his cast removed and received medical clearance on Monday. “I almost played better coming off the bench than I would have starting.”
“We needed him,” Segesman said of Lavayen. “I didn’t know how much I was going to play him.”
Huntington Beach tied the score, 3-3, early in the second, but Mater Dei scored four consecutive counterattacks to take control. Lavayen scored the first off a backcourt foul but Luke Wyatt scored off a field block by Jack Seybold and Matt Payne later scored after a quick shot by Huntington Beach at the deep wing.
“That’s the bread and butter of this program year after year, the counterattack,” Lavayen said.
Mater Dei then lowered the boom in the third period with six goals, including two on the counterattack, to open a 13-6 advantage.
Segesman said the Monarchs were especially prepared to counterattack because of the Oilers’ aggressive shooting habits. The Monarchs’ defenders were positioned in the gaps along the perimeter, ready to sprint to offense.
“That was the difference in the game,” Segesman said of Mater Dei’s counterattack.
Nick Silvers added three goals for the Monarchs. Wolf finished with 12 saves before being replaced before the fourth. Sophomore Matt Robert paced the Sunset League champion with three second-half goals.
The Oilers went 4 for 6 on the power play; Mater Dei 2 for 5 and missed two penalty shots.
The Monarchs are 0-3 against Harvard-Westlake. But last season, Harvard-Westlake was 0-3 against Mater Dei but claimed the CIF crown. Lavayen called the Wolverines the best team in the nation but added, “There would be nothing better than to dethrone them.”
Also in Division 1:
Harvard-Westlake 13, Corona del Mar 2: Johnny Hooper and Ben Hallock each scored four goals for the Wolverines (28-0), who scored 10 consecutive goals to open a 13-1 lead in the fourth. Ashton Jajonie and Vincent Ong scored for the Sea Kings (24-6).
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
