The record board that looms over the pool at El Toro could need some updating thanks to the efforts by the Chargers’ girls water polo team Wednesday night.
Dana Acquah-Asare and Ashley Riley each came up big in overtime as top-seeded El Toro defeated No.4 Murrieta Valley, 11-9, in the CIF-SS Division 2 semifinals at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.
El Toro’s girls advanced to their first section final, a feat accomplished 12 times by the Chargers’ boys under retired Coach Don Stoll.
“It’s a pretty amazing feeling finally getting to the finals,” said Acquah-Asare, a left-handed center who scored four goals. “We’re excited because over at our school we have a (record) board with all CIF boys and for the girls CIF, it’s just SET’s (club) logo.
“If we can get that off, that would be pretty amazing.”
El Toro (22-9) will play South Coast League rival San Clemente in the finals Saturday.
After regulation ended tied, 8-8, Acquah-Asare set up a counterattack strike by Riley with a steal and an assist less than 30 seconds into the first, three-minute extra period.
About a minute later, Acquah-Asare drew an exclusion and scored a power-play strike off an assist by Maddy Damato for a 10-8 lead.
Murrieta Valley’s Tara Prentice (game-high five goals) ended the first overtime by tossing in a goal from just beyond mid-pool as time expired, but El Toro responded in the second overtime with a goal by Riley on a drive for an 11-9 lead with 2:01 left.
“We never quit,” first-year El Toro coach Justin Johnson said. “We don’t have a super-star but we have a lot of people who contribute and a lot who work hard.”
El Toro converted its final two chances on the power play to finish 5 for 13. Acquah-Asare, a junior, tied the score, 8-8, with a power-play strike coming out of a timeout with 1:29 left in the fourth.
Murrieta Valley went 4 for 12 on the power-play after converting 3 for its first five.
The other half of El Toro’s center duo, Haley Hagerty, and Riley each finished with two goals while Tori Rainone made eight saves.
“They executed at the end,” Murrieta Valley coach Bryan Lynton said of El Toro. “That press and counter just wears you down.”
El Toro edged Murrieta Valley earlier in the season, 10-9, but the Nighthawks played without Prentice, who sat out due to her transfer from Great Oak.
In the other Division 2 semifinal, center Amber McCutcheon scored on a counterattack sparked by the defense of Alaina Cousineau with 16 seconds left to lift third-seeded San Clemente past Agoura, 8-7, at Woollett.
McCutcheon, Cousineau, Cassidy Smithson and Tera Richardson each scored twice for San Clemente, who took a 7-4 lead into the fourth after a buzzer-beater by Cousineau.
“It’s been an up-and-down,” San Clemente coach Logan Powell said of the season. “But we’re doing it (now) at the right moment.”
McCutcheon, best known as a dominating center, also scored the game-winning goal with 17 seconds left in a quarterfinal win against Los Osos on a counterattack.
“She can get out on the counter,” Powell said. “She’s selective.”
In Division 3:
M.L. King of Riverside 11, Troy 2: Marissa Vaccher tossed a perimeter shot in off the bar to trim the Wolves’ lead to 2-1 late in the second period, but the No.2-seeded team responded with eight straight goals to cruise at Woollett.
“Our first 12 minutes were great,” Troy coach Jason Wilson said. “But King is a great team.”
Impressive freshman Madison Stamen had four goals, three steals and two assists to pace the Wolves, who earlier beat Troy, 12-2.
Center Ava Mattis drew three exclusions and a penalty but the Warriors went 1 for 5 with the extra attacker and King goalie Hannah McCarley (12 saves) blocked the penalty shot.
“Ava had a great game,” Wilson said of Mattis.
Vaccher scored both goals for Troy while goalie Shannon Tully added nine saves. Center Samantha Shaw also scored four goals for King, which takes on Arroyo Grande in the finals.
In Division 4:
Riverside Poly 11, Mission Viejo 8: Skylar Newhouser scored four goals and Natalie Cooper added three at Diamond Bar, but the Diablos (26-5) fell in their first semifinal appearance. No. 2 seeded Riverside Poly led, 5-1, at halftime.
In Division 6:
Ocean View 8, Santa Monica 4: Elena Isogawa scored four goals and Alyssa Welfringer made 13 saves as the second-seeded Seahawks (25-6) won at Santa Ana Valley to reach their third straight final. Ocean View will play Pasadena Poly in the finals on Saturday.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
