Huntington Beach girls’ water polo clamps down on Fountain Valley

It took the spectacular just to score a goal on the Huntington Beach High girls’ water polo team during Wednesday’s Sunset League game against Fountain Valley.

Barons senior captain Ally Wilcox provided it in the fourth quarter. Wilcox spun near mid-tank and threw up a cross-cage lob from the left side that went in.

Huntington Beach coach Mark Canner made sure to compliment Wilcox on the shot after the game. It was the only goal the Oilers would allow on the night.

Their press defense prevailed as Huntington Beach earned a 15-1 victory at Newport Harbor High, staying undefeated in league play.

Junior Nicca Falla scored six goals and had four steals for the Oilers (8-5, 2-0 in league), while junior captain Courtney Heydorff had four goals and five steals.

Senior center Maddie Bockman, the other team captain, chipped in with three goals for Huntington Beach. Senior goalie Marina Hyham made four saves in the first half before giving way to sophomore Elena Davey, who had a save and a steal in the second half.

Canner said he feels the Oilers, ranked No. 16 in CIF Southern Section Division 1 and 2, are improving. On Tuesday, they beat the team ranked directly below them, No. 17 Montebello Schurr, by a 13-8 score in a nonleague game.

“Defensively we’ve been solid all year,” Canner said. “It’s just teaching defensive players how to become offensively minded, and I think they’re starting to figure it out.”

Huntington Beach’s players were originally scheduled to leave Thursday after school for the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, but the tournament has been postponed until Jan. 25-27. Canner said the Oilers would probably not play in the tournament now, as that week is finals week at Huntington Beach.

The Oilers have dropped from the No. 11 spot they occupied in Division 1 and 2 in the first preseason poll. But Canner would like to see his team gel for the postseason in hopes of making a run in Division 2.

“Our team is a very young team, so it’s important to try to get some momentum right now,” he said. “I think having a couple of one-goal losses early in the season might be good for us in the long run.”

Junior Chloe Reiner had two goals and a team-best three assists in Wednesday night’s game for the winners. Sophia Cendro, a junior, helped lead the defensive effort with five steals.

Huntington Beach, which finished third in a tight league race a season ago, will have to wait for its most challenging league games. The Oilers play defending champion Los Alamitos on Jan. 31, then close out league against Newport Harbor on Feb. 7.

“I’m glad the big league games are at the end,” Bockman said. “We have time to just prepare and get better. We get better every game, and just learn how to play together better.”

Fountain Valley first-year coach Jacob Moore said he also sees the Barons (6-5, 1-1) improving. Moore said last week’s 8-2 win over Marina was Fountain Valley’s first league win in seven seasons.

Wilcox had the goal and two steals Wednesday for Fountain Valley. The other senior captain, left-hander Grace Galleher, also had two steals, while junior goalie Taylor Waldschmidt made five saves.

Moore said his team would look to pick up some wins in the Diamond Bar tournament this weekend. Fountain Valley is in Division 5 this season, and Moore said that seven of the top 10 teams in the division are competing at the tournament.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo