Mater Dei rallies to stun El Toro

LAKE FOREST Mater Dei water polo coach Chris Segesman was yelling at Christian Grant to pass the ball to 2 meters, but the senior had another idea in the final seconds at El Toro on Monday.

He shot from about 9 meters, and things could not have worked out better for the Monarchs.

Grant scored on a side-armed skip shot with one second left to lift No. 2 Mater Dei past No. 3 El Toro, 10-9, in a thrilling nonleague match.

“Probably the best goal I’ve ever scored,” said Grant, known for his 2-meter defense.

It was a satisfying turnaround for Mater Dei (9-2). El Toro (12-2) and goalie Garrett Danner handled Mater Dei, 9-3, in the semifinals of the South Coast Tournament. Danner, a sophomore, tied a school record with 24 saves.

Danner made 17 saves on Monday, but Mater Dei made several adjustments.

On offense, Segesman stressed ball control in the front court and smart shot selection to his players. On defense, he had his team focus on body positioning in transition and against ball-side drives.

Mater Dei held El Toro to 0 for 6 on the power play and got strong play from goalies Casey Connors and Patch O’Brien.

"The guys played really well," Segesman said. "They played smart defense, (ran a) good counterattack and controlled offense."

Segesman praised Alex Wherry for his defense in the second half against Nick Rascon. Segesman made the switch at halftime and Wherry helped shut out Rascon, who had at least four shots blast off the cage. Wherry also had at least two good chances hit off the goal.

El Toro led, 5-3, at halftime but a perimeter strike by Bret Bonanni and a counterattack goal by David Guibord tied the score less than minute into the third.

"That was huge," Segesman said of the opening to the third period.

But El Toro responded later in the period. Center Russell Renteria scored with his off-hand at 2 meters for a 7-6 lead with 4:42 remaining. Danner then sparked a counterattack by stopping Mater Dei on a breakaway. Sophomore Joey Fuentes scored at the other end of the pool for an 8-6 lead with 3:09 left in the third.

Mater Dei fought back in the final two minutes of the period. Wherry scored on a sweep shot from 2 meters and assisted a counterattack goal by Bonanni as the teams went to the fourth tied, 8-8. Connors sparked the counterattack strike with a save against an El Toro power play.

Fuentes gave El Toro a 9-8 lead in the fourth by scoring on a push-in shot at the end of a counterttack with 5:50 left. But Mater Dei tied the score, 9-9, on a counterattack goal by Anthony Daboub with 3:01 left

Mater Dei scored three counterattack goals in the second half; El Toro had two.

But in the end, it was another dramatic victory for Mater Dei. On Saturday, the Monarchs' clipped host Coronado, 9-8, on a last-second goal by Alex Wherry on a shot from about 5 meters.

Bonanni and Guibord each finished with three goals Monday. Renteria led El Toro with three goals.

The challenges for Mater Dei this week aren't over. They play host to Harvard-Westlake on Wednesday and play undefeated Division I juggernaut Loyola in Los Angeles on Friday. Segesman said the week will show whether the Monarchs have "arrived" in 2009.

On Monday, the answer was a resounding yes.