Edison continues late-season push

NEWPORT BEACH – Edison's girls water polo teams have been known to peak late in recent seasons. The Chargers showed Thursday night they might follow the same course.

Alys Williams scored what proved to be the winning goal and made a late steal to secure a 9-8 victory against a young and talented Murrieta Valley team in the second round of the Irvine Southern California Championships at Corona del Mar.

Edison goalie Sydni Estrella made two key blocks in the fourth period to help the seventh-ranked Chargers reach the quarterfinals in the final major tournament of the regular season.

"It was a great victory," Edison coach Diggy Riley said. "The girls have come together. ... We've been training hard. We're super-pumped about this weekend but it's hard for us not to think about Wednesday night."

Edison (13-8) plays second-ranked Newport Harbor in the Sunset League next week. The Chargers, however, still have some big matches against Division 1 foes this weekend. Edison will play top-seeded Corona del Mar for the third time when the teams meet in the quarterfinals today at Corona del Mar at 6 p.m.

Edison and Murrieta Valley (17-5) were locked in a 7-7 tie entering the fourth period. Edison's Ashley Dorman skipped in the go-ahead strike from 7 meters with 5:50 left. Dorman shot quickly at the point off a pass from Jessica Becker.

The UCLA-bound Williams extended Edison's lead to 9-7 on another strike from the perimeter with 3:30 left. The goal came on the heels of save by Estrella on a Murrieta Valley power play.

Megan Geurts, Murrieta Valley's lone senior, powered in a goal from 2 meters with 3:13 left to trim Edison's lead to one but Estrella made another key block with 34 seconds left. Williams grabbed a steal 13 seconds later to seal the victory.

“She’s had a solid, solid three weeks,” Riley said of Estrella, who finished with nine saves. “She’s coming around big-time and we need her. When she plays solid in the cage, we have a chance to win against any team.”

Williams finished with three goals, including two on penalties. Left-hander Abby Oshiro scored four first-half goals, including two on impressive lob shots, to lead Edison in scoring. Dorman finished with two goals.

Three sophomores impressed for Murrieta Valley, the reigning CIF Division 3 champion. Paige Virgil scored four goals, Maddie Sanchez had two field blocks and a steal in the first period and goalie Abby Goviea made nine saves.

"We're excited about them," Murrieta Valley coach Bryan Lynton said of the group. "The sophomores are carrying us."

The other quarterfinal matchups Friday: Newport Harbor-Dos Pueblos of Goleta and Los Alamitos-Laguna Beach at Irvine and Santa Barbara at Foothill.