CdM owns second half, moves on to CIF semifinals

The Corona del Mar High boys’ water polo team is a senior-laden group, and one of those seniors made a smart move early to help shift Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoff quarterfinal game against visiting San Clemente.

Ty Matson, the Tritons’ talented junior left-hander, had been excluded in the first quarter. As Matson was swimming out of the pool, CdM senior Hayden Roletter had an idea.

“He was swimming head down, so I thought I might as well jump in front of him,” Roletter said. “It worked out.”

Matson was called for another foul for obstructing the Sea Kings’ power play, even if it was unintentional. This one earned CdM a penalty shot.

“It’s a savvy, veteran move by [Roletter],” San Clemente coach Logan Powell said.

It became important later in the second quarter, when Matson would foul out after scoring a team-best four goals. CdM’s Tanner Pulice earned the exclusion in transition.

The Sea Kings then owned the second half, turning a tie game into a 12-8 victory and advancing to the semifinals.

CdM is in the final four for the first time since 2014. The Sea Kings will play Agoura in a semifinal game Wednesday at Irvine’s Woollett Aquatics Center. The time is to be determined.

Powell knows his Tritons, who have no senior starters, will be back. But CdM (20-9), the No. 2 seed in Division 2, has to feel like the time is now.

Senior Henry Wilde led the Sea Kings with three goals Saturday, followed by senior center Will Klein, senior Mitchell Cooper and Pulice with two apiece. Roletter, left-hander Alex Taxman and Ryan Schildwachter also scored, with Schildwachter leading the defensive effort with four steals.

Pacific Coast League champion CdM outscored San Clemente 6-2 in the second half. The South Coast League champ Tritons (20-10) were down 10-8 late in the third quarter, but couldn’t convert on a six-on-five chance, then a six-on-four shot was wide.

“In the second half, we started talking to each other, making sure we were aware,” Cooper said. “It was really all about communication and helping each other out.”

Sophomore Harrison Smith and senior Will Snyder split time at goalie, with Smith making four saves in the first half and Snyder one in the second half.

CdM coach Kareem Captan said he’d like to see his team play better defense for a full game. The Sea Kings will get their chance in the semifinals.

Although CdM was not one of the eight teams selected for the Division 1 bracket, that does leave opportunities for a Division 2 title. The program’s last CIF title also came in Division 2, in 2010.

“For me, at the end of the day, these boys are still practicing hard, they’re still grinding and working,” Captan said. “It’s exciting to be No. 2 [seed], you know? We just want to play our best water polo, and hopefully we’re going to do that next game.”

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo