Grace Morgan delivered a perfectly timed breakthrough Saturday in her season-long mission to build confidence and find her offensive niche.
The senior matched her season high with five goals to help lead Corona del Mar’s fourth-seeded girls water polo team past visiting No. 5 Orange Lutheran, 11-8, in the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals.
In the semifinals Wednesday night in Irvine, Corona del Mar (23-6) will play No. 1 Laguna Beach (29-0), which extended its winning streak to a county-record 50 games with an 18-5 victory against Los Alamitos.
Morgan signed with Cal in November but has been quiet at times, averaging just over one goal per match entering Saturday.
She scored Corona del Mar’s first two goals in a critical opening period and added a spectacular cross-pass to Maddie Musselman for another strike.
The Sea Kings scored five in the first and never were caught as goalie Heidi Ritner (eight saves) locked down the fourth by knocking down three power-play shots.
“That’s the Grace Morgan we all know and have been waiting to see,” CdM coach Ross Sinclair said. “It was awesome. That’s what she is capable of. … Now we have to see it two more times.”
Positioned on a wing opposite of Musselman (two goals) and Eliza Britt (three goals), Morgan scored in the first on a slick power-play pass from Musselman and from 6 meters after the Lancers (24-4) double-teamed 2 meters. In the second, she skipped in a shot from 8 meters. Morgan netted two power-play goals in the third after exclusions drawn by center Bridgett Storm.
“I’ve been building up my confidence,” Morgan said. “I was hoping I would play like that.”
Morgan’s personal highlight was her cross-pool assist to Musselman, who reached high for a fluid catch-and-shoot with 10 seconds left in the first. Morgan said she has struggled at times on whether to pass or shoot but she found the right balance Saturday.
Emma Skelly scored three of her five goals on the power play for Orange Lutheran.
“The first quarter really destroyed us,” Orange Lutheran coach Steve Carrera said. “Grace stepped up. … They played a phenomenal game. They were the better team.”
Also in Division 1:
Newport Harbor 5, San Marcos 4: Carlee Kapana made four of her 11 saves in the fourth period as the host Sailors (23-6) held on after both teams went scoreless in the second half.
Isabel Leveque scored on the power-play with 2:54 left in the second period to give the Sailors a 5-3 lead. Newport Harbor plays Foothill, a 14-6 winner against Mater Dei, in the semifinals.
“The (final) buzzer couldn’t come early enough,” said Newport Harbor assistant Brian Melstrom, who filled in for Bill Barnett (hip). “It was just a game of turnovers in the second half.”
San Marcos went 0 for 3 on the power-play in the fourth period and finished 2 for 7. Kapana set the tone in the fourth with a lunging save to her left with 4:15 left on a shot from the wing after San Marcos passed the ball out from center. Less than a minute later, she knocked down a power-play shot after a quick pass by San Marcos to the post.
San Marcos nearly tied the score with 34 seconds left in the fourth but turned the ball over on an offensive foul at center with Paige Hauschild moving in for the strike on the wing.
Moments after the final buzzer, Barnett’s wife, Marcia, who filmed the game for her husband, flashed a bright smile as she called him in the hospital, where he is recovering from hip surgery.
“Hopefully, he’ll be on the pool deck Wednesday night with a walker,” she said. “I’m sure he will.”
Laguna Beach 18, Los Alamitos 5: Makenzie Fischer scored six goals and her sister Aria added four at Newport Harbor as the Breakers set the county-record outright for most consecutive victories with 50. Laguna Beach was tied with Foothill’s record of 49 from 2002-4.
Foothill 14, Mater Dei 6: Attackers Julia Sellers (four goals) and Brooke Maxson (three goals) combined for seven goals to pace the second-seeded Knights.
In Division 2:
El Toro 7, Long Beach Wilson 2: Tori Rainone made 13 saves and didn’t allow a goal in the first half to help lead the top-seeded and host Chargers (21-9) into the semifinals. “Defense wins championships,” El Toro coach Justin Johnson said.
El Toro plays Murrieta Valley, a 13-11 winner against Montebello, in the semifinals.
San Clemente 14, Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga 13: Amber McCutcheon scored with 17 seconds left to help lift the host Tritons (18-7) at Vista Hermosa Aquatic Center. The left-handed center finished with four goals. San Clemente plays No. 2 Agoura in the semifinals Wednesday night in Irvine.
In Division 3:
Troy 6, Peninsula 4: Claire Schade scored twice and Shannon Tully made nine saves at Fullerton College as the Warriors (24-7) reached the semifinals with their 14th consecutive victory. Troy takes on No. 2 seed M.L. King of Riverside in the semifinals Wednesday afternoon in Irvine.
In Division 4:
Mission Viejo 8, Bonita of La Verne 7: Megan Patterson scored on a cross-cage lob from the wing at midpool just before the final buzzer at El Toro to lift the Diablos (26-4) into the semifinals for the first time.
Mission Viejo coach Jeff Rach called timeout with two seconds and planned to have Patterson put the ball in play but after surveying the defense, picked goalie Tiffany Sims, who passed to an open Patterson. “It was crazy,” he said. “As soon as she threw the ball, I knew it was in.”
Said Patterson of her dramatic shot, “Oh, my gosh. It was intense. … I didn’t think that much about it. I just threw it.”
Patterson finished with four steals while Sims made 13 saves for Mission Viejo, which plays No. 2 seed Riverside Poly in the semifinals Wednesday night at Diamond Bar.
In Division 6:
Ocean View 17, Westridge of Pasadena 13: Shannon Graham scored six goals at Pasadena Poly to pace the semifinal-bound Seahawks (24-6). The Golden West League champions play Santa Monica on Wednesday.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
